


Distortions

by ObssesedNuker



Category: Senki Zesshou Symphogear
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon Continuation, F/F, Politics, Science Fiction, Thriller, XV Spoilers, Yuri, original villain characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2020-12-27 03:36:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 33
Words: 336,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21112022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObssesedNuker/pseuds/ObssesedNuker
Summary: The Curse of Balal may have been broken, but five millennia of history cannot be undone so easily. And as the Symphogear Adaptor’s prepare to move on into the next stage of their lives in the new world of tomorrow they thought they have created, they suddenly become aware that history may be stalking them from the shadows.





	1. Our World of Tomorrow

Distortions  
Chapter 1:  
Our World of Tomorrow

\----

  
“Is this true? Is all of this really true?”  
  
His guest just gave a simple nod. For what seemed like the longest time of his life, he could do nothing but sit there and gaze into his tea and listen to the raging blizzard outside. He had been briefed on the Shem-Ha Incident of course. Between it being such an enormous global crisis and being a person slated to take the sort of position he was, it was only natural that he be briefed. He had even worked with his people to cooperate with the Americans and Japanese in their plan to try and lock out Yggdrasil from the global computer networks.  
  
Reflecting on it now, the briefing hadn’t honestly told him that much. In hindsight, “Ancient alien precursor goddess tried to hijack humanity’s collective consciousness to mutilate the world and was stopped by that UN Symphogear organization SONG” did raise more questions than it answered. The most obvious being “why was there an alien precursor goddess trying to mutilate the world?”  
  
Well, now he had an answer to that question. And it churned his gut. The evidence he had was indisputable. He found himself coming back again and again to that moment when Shem-Ha briefly connected humanity and the raw fear he felt, not just from himself but from so many others about what would happen to them, to their friends, family, and loved one. To their legacy. And to their future. The whole of human civilization, all of its achievements and accomplishments, all of it’s potential… almost wiped out because of some idiot “gods” who couldn’t let mankind be for their own selfish reasons? Worse, their foolishness meant this wasn’t even the first time mankind hovered on the edge of repeated disaster over the past two years. If not for SONGs harnessing of the Symphogears capability, the whole of their accomplishments would have been naught but dust on the wind multiple times over by now.  
  
Yet fundamentally, it was the same technology, and who was to say the Symphogears would always be on the side of saving mankind? Indeed if the information he had in front of him was correct, one of them had for awhile been bent on subjugating the world. That was only one step away from destroying it. Who's to say it couldn’t happen again?  
  
Finally, he looked up. “How should we begin?”  
  
-  
  
_“-it’s free, it’s beautiful, but under no circumstances should you look at it. And our top story in international news: the UN has been forced to suspend it’s military missions following the withdrawal of all member states forces to their operations. All the countries withdrawing their forces have consistently stated this is in response to the pattern of disappearances among military units deployed on these missions over the past three months and their wish not to lose any more personnel to whatever phenomenon is causing it. While the consensus among political experts is that they do not expect the suspension of peacekeeping operations to cause any new conflicts given recent trends in improving global relations, they may contribute to the reignition of pre-existing conflicts that the operations had previously stabilized but not yet resolved. In other international news, the ongoing talks between the foreign ministry and China over disputed islands are into their third day and so far the discussions have been described as positive-”_  
  
Commander Genjuro Kazanari clicked the news program off as he glanced over to his assistant. “So, nothing at all?”  
  
Shinji Ogawa simply shook his head. “Nothing. At least not in the UN or JSDF, that’s for certain. From what I could gather from my contacts in intelligence, the Americans and Europeans are equally as clueless. And everybody else, as far as they could tell. There are no signs of fighting, no reports of discontent, no signs of activity, supernatural or otherwise. There is simply nothing. Best everyone could tell, the units just went out on patrol… and promptly vanished into thin air.”  
  
“Doesn’t that pretty much mean it has to be supernatural?” Aoi Tomosato asked. “We’re up too several battalions, almost a regiment's worth by this point, in a single month. Military units have been known to disappear in war zones, but not with such frequency.”  
  
“Unofficially, I agree with you.” Genjuro replied. “Officially, however, no evidence means we can’t act and there is simply no evidence. That’s what I was told when I submitted an inquiry with the UN Security Council. It’s concerning, but we can’t do much more than keep an eye on it.”  
  
“I don’t think it’s supernatural.” Elfnein didn’t even look up from the notes she was reviewing. “Or if it is, nothing supernatural we have encountered before. I’ve reviewed the evidence Ogawa retrieved from the UN. There is absolutely nothing that is consistent with all the knowledge we have amassed about heretical technology. Noise, Alchemists, the Custodians, even unknown Symphogear Adaptors… they all would have left some indication of their presence behind. Here, there is just nothing.”  
  
“Well, I certainly hope you’re right.” Fujitaka muttered from his station, “Everything’s been going great otherwise. Even if it has been almost twice as long as usual.”  
  
_‘Well of course,_’ Genjuro though, _‘With Shem-Ha defeated, who else is left?’_ Four months have passed since the Custodian were defeated and by every metric, things were going spectacularly. And Genjuro didn’t just mean that in a personal sense either. The news had been right: things were getting better worldwide. Even the Americans were acting calmer and more thoughtfully in international affairs, to the point that one would scarcely believe that almost a year prior they had attempted an abortive nuclear strike on Japan.  
  
“Should we alert the girls about it?” Ogawa’s voice broke Genjuro out of his reflection.  
  
He shook his head. “It hasn’t affected us yet and with the UN military missions ending, it might cease altogether. Until we have more information, we shouldn’t trouble them with it. As Fujitaka said, things are going great. Let them enjoy these peaceful times when they can.”  
  
-  
  
_“So, you want to kill that which kills the gods? Sounds like quite the challenge. Sign me up…”_  
  
-  
  
“Here Hibiki! Say aaaahn…” Miku Kohinata held out a spoon filled with ice cream.  
  
“Aaaahn…” Hibiki Tachibana opened her mouth, accepting her girlfriends offering.  
  
“Gag me.” Chris Yukine groused from her spot across the table from the pair.  
  
“You could switch with us.” Maria offered from just across the diner aisle.  
  
“Nah.” Chris jammed a thumb towards Shirabe and Kirika, the latter of whom was desperately trying to convince the former to do what Miku just did, sitting across from Maria and Tsubasa. “Then I’d have to watch those two lovebirds also do things they really should be saving for their rooms. It’d be a bunch of effort for the same exact outcome.”  
  
“Well I think it’s sweet.” Maria simply took another sip of… whatever it was she had ordered. Tea, Chris supposed.  
  
‘Yeah, well… so is stuff that gives you cavities.’ Chris thought. In truth, she was happy that Hibiki and Miku had made their status official. The two had always been so close and the memory of the sheer pain Hibiki had been in when she thought she had lost Miku still managed to rattle her. Plus, Hibiki’s expression when she found out that all her friends thought she and Miku had always been an actual couple had been hilarious. And probably made up for Chris’s own expression when she found out that Hibiki and Miku hadn’t always been an actual couple, or at least Chris hoped so.  
  
“Besides, Yukine...” Tsubasa had an uncharacteristically sly smile that suddenly had Chris wary. “I do recall you talking quite fondly about a certain Komichi Ayano recently.”  
  
There was silence for a moment as a bright red blush worked its way up Chris’s face. “Senpai!”  
  
Unfortunately for her, it was then that the implications of Tsubasa’s statement registered with Kirika and Hibiki, enormous grins breaking out across their faces.  
  
“Eh?! Chris-chan/senpai’s found someone?! We’re so happy for you!” And Chris immediately found herself in battle on two fronts as each lunged to hug the white haired girl from their respective spots across the table and aisle.  
  
“Agh! Hey! It’s not like that! Come on! Oof!” Then with an almighty shove she managed to knock both of the two back away from her; Hibiki back into her seat, and Kirika into the aisle, “I SAID KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!”  
  
“Wah! Shirabe, Chris hurt me!” Kirika cried before rapidly climbing back into her seat, hoping to leverage the momentary discomfort into some attention from her own partner.  
  
“There, there Kiri-chan.” And possibly, intentionally, Shirabe fell for it, turning and pulling Kirika into a hug. “I’m sure Chris was just upset that you weren’t her own girlfriend.”  
  
“Oh, give me a break.” Chris muttered, before noticing Hibiki still watching her with a grin and glittering eyes. “Uh… what?”  
  
“Well, come on! Tell us! What’s she like? Have you gone on any dates yet? Have you kissed? How about making o-”  
  
“Hibiki!” Miku cut her partner off with a blush bright enough for both of them. “That’s too personal!”  
  
“Yeah!” Chris’s own blush was if anything even more luminescent, “Besides, like I said: we ain’t like that!” She paused, furrowing her brows as she thought and her blush faded. “At least… I don’t think so. We met after the spring semester started with a shared class. We were decent enough friends back at Lydian and it’s been good to see her, but the most we’ve done is get the occasional cup of tea and talked.” Wistfully, she smiled. “It’s been nice.”  
  
Hibiki gave a knowing giggle and Chris’s smile vanished to be replaced by a warning glare.  
  
“Does she know?” Maria asked next, holding up Airgetlamh.  
  
“No.” Chris shifted uneasily. “Not a whole lot of Lydian’s students got a good look at me back at Kadingir, so only a couple know and the ones who did are all under the usual NDA’s. There’s a bunch more students who know about Tachibana or Kazanari.”  
  
“Oh yeah, almost all of our identities are secret.” Shirabe mused absently, “You know, it’s surprising how effective those NDA’s have been.”  
  
Hibiki’s reaction, on the other hand, was much less laid back. “That’s no good Chris! You shouldn’t hide such important things from someone you care so much about. I did that and...” She glanced over at Miku, who smiled reassuringly as took her girlfriend's hand and gave it a squeeze. Hibiki returned the smile before she turned back to Chris. “... it almost didn’t end well.”  
  
“I know, I know! It’s just…” Unwilling to meet Hibiki’s eyes, Chris instead looked out the window, choosing to watch an advertisement board promoting some sort of new anti-aging treatment instead. “For one thing, how do I even bring that up?” She injected a false cheer into her voice. “Oh, hey Komichi, I’m one of the Symphogears. Ya know, the ones who have saved the world multiple times over? Well, except that one time I wanted to take it over. But, hey, that’s in the past. It’s all cool with you, right?” The fake-cheer dropped, “It feels like it… would just be so out of the blue to drop on her.”  
  
“That seems like it would be more an issue of framing than anything else.” Miku said. “I mean, you do talk with her on a regular basis, right?”  
  
“Well, that’s the other thing.” The ad began to loop so Chris instead switched to watching the raindrops create patterns on the windowsill. “All we’ve done is talk. And have coffee. Or tea. Whichever.” Finally she turned back to the others. “And besides, it isn’t as if any of the Symphogear-stuff has gotten in the way, like it was with you and the dummy. Since Shem-Ha, all we’ve had is training and that’s easy to plan around.”  
  
“Well perhaps you should take the opportunity to do more than just talk.” Maria gave a meaningful glance over at Tsubasa, “And I think we have just such an opportunity.”  
  
Everybody looked at Tsubasa expectantly, but the swordswoman simply looked back at Maria with uncertainty. As it became apparent she wasn’t about to continue, Maria reached out, took Tsubasa’s hand, and squeezed. “It’s okay, we talked about this. Remember? Even Ogawa approved of this plan.”  
  
Tsubasa closed her eyes, and nodded. She visibly summoned up her inner-strength and opened her eyes again. “Maria and I… We’re having another joint concert.”  
  
“Oh.” Kirika head tilted in slight confusion. “Is that all?”  
  
“Kiri-chan.” Shirabe chided, “You do remember what happened last time, right?”  
  
“Oh yeah, there was…” Kirika trailed off, “Oh…”  
  
“So you're worried someone’s gonna try to trash your concert again?” Chris thought back over every past concert between Maria and Tsubasa. “It… Is a bit of an unfortunate pattern isn’t it?”  
  
Tsubasa cringed at those words, but Maria quickly clapped her hands together to take the lead. “So! Just to cover against these sort of… Eventualities, Tsubasa, Ogawa, and I all agreed it would be best if everyone was there.” She turned back to Tsubasa and nodded to her encouragingly.  
  
Tsubasa gave a slight smile back before taking hold of her purse. “So, the ideal official procedure in these circumstances.” She popped it open and lifted out a sextet of identical slips of paper, holding them up for everyone to see. “Backstage passes, all access. Let’s everyone get ahead of the crowd when it comes to checking in and unlimited access to the entirety of the venue. Just don’t get in the crews way.”  
  
“Really?!” Kirika shot forward, grabbing two of the passes in a flash and looking them over. “They are! Yes, you’re the best senpai!”  
  
Tsubasa blushed lightly at the praise as the remaining quartet of tickets were passed across the aisle to the other table before being divided evenly between each side.  
  
“Wait a minute.” Chris noted, holding up the two she had been given. “There’s six passes. Excluding you and Maria, there’s five of us. Why am I getting two passes?”  
  
“Didn’t I say it earlier?” Maria winked at Chris, “Take this as an opportunity to bring Ayano along. A concert’s romantic enough, isn’t it?”  
  
Chris scowled as her blush returned. “I told you guys, it isn’t like that.”  
  
She still pocketed both passes though.  
  
-  
  
_“My god! This is practically a work of art! I get to work with stuff like this? Of course I’ll join. Let me just get my things. You won’t believe how boring this previous work has been...”_  
  
-  
  
“This isn’t going to work.” Tsubasa’s tone was matter-of-fact, projecting no uncertainty.  
  
Maria rolled her eyes, not even looking up from the magazine. “Tsubasa, please. You’ve been saying that for the past several hours. Normally I’m the one who has to cover her pre-concert jitters with an air of confidence.”  
  
“But I mean it!” Tsubasa whirled around from the mirror, “They haven’t shown up yet, so who knows-”  
  
“It’s been minutes since the agreed upon arrival time.” Maria interrupted. “That isn’t enough time to make it from the parking lot to here.”  
  
Tsubasa sighed and sank down into her chair. For several more seconds, there was silence in the dressing rooms. Finally Tsubasa spoke up again, “I had the dream again last night… but...”  
  
This time Maria brought her attention up from the magazine, “But?”  
  
“It wasn’t just that concert. There was also the one in London. And the first time we met. And…” Tsubasa hesitated again for one long moment, “... and the one where… Kanade… they kinda all got mixed together. Millaarc kept switching with the Autoscorer. And the girl kept switching with Kanade… and you.”  
  
Tsubasa had shrunk in on herself to the point that Maria immediately abandoned the magazine, stood up, and went over to her fellow idol. Wrapping Tsubasa in a hug, she murmured into her ear. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here. There’s no more Noise, no more alchemists, no more Custodians, and the UN has granted SONG a lock on everything left related to the Relics. There’s no force left on Earth that could take this from us.”  
  
Sighing, Tsubasa leaned back into the hug, regaining her strength from Maria’s presence. Tsubasa didn’t quite know for sure if what they had between them could be defined the same as what she had with Kanade. Or what was between Miku and Hibiki or Kirika and Shirabe. Perhaps some time in the near future there would be a talk for clarification, but for now she was willing to be satisfied with hoping it was and taking strength from it.  
  
A knock at the door drew their attention and Maria, with only a little reluctance, detached herself. “That must be them.”  
  
The door swung open and the first one through was the ever-excitable Kirika. “Maria, Tsubasa! Everyone’s here!”  
  
They all came in, chatting and laughing. Maria smiled as Tsubasa seemed to regain her remaining strength just from the presence of her friends. As she scanned the group, her eyes alighted on a new face, hovering next to and ever so slightly behind Chris. Green eyes, brunette hair down to the back with a yellow headband. Despite being slightly taller than Chris, the girl’s presence actually seemed smaller as she seemed to be infected with the usual nervousness of someone amid a largely unfamiliar crowd.  
  
Tsubasa had the same idea the moment before Maria and hence managed to beat the latter to the punch. “You must be Komichi Ayano! Yukine has told us about you.”  
  
“Oh, y-yes!” Komichi almost fell over herself bowing. “It’s a pleasure to meet you! Kazanari, Maria-sama! Yukine has told me quite a lot about the both of you.”  
  
‘_Sama?_’ Maria quirked an eyebrow at the formal honorific and how it seemed to be absent for Tsubasa, but decided to let it slide for the moment. “Oh? Mostly good things, I hope.”  
  
“Only about some of us.” Hibiki grumbled, “From the way Komichi talked in the car, Chris doesn’t say very nice things about me.”  
  
“Oh, I wouldn’t know about that, Tachibana.” Komichi smiled towards Chris, “She always has this fond smile when she mentions any of you, regardless of what she’s saying.”  
  
“Komichi!” Chris turned towards her friend at that.  
  
“Oh, that’s nothing.” Hibiki’s grin became down mischievous. “You should have seen the dopey smile on her face when we told her you were the next to pick up.”  
  
Now Chris turned on Hibiki and if her face had been only slightly red at Komichi’s comment, it was positively on fire now. “DOPEY?! Why you-come here!”  
  
“Ah, no Chris…” Hibiki tried to rapidly back away from the advancing light-haired girl, but with eight people all stuck in the prep room she didn’t have far to back-up before running into the wall. As Chris made the final lunge, Hibiki ducked aside and took cover behind her girlfriend. “Miku, save me!”  
  
Chris began to turn again towards Miku, or more specifically Hibiki-cowering-behind-Miku, only to stop short as a smiling Komichi walked over and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Chris, I’m sure she meant it in the best way possible.”  
  
Chris simply stared at her friend for a moment, her anger melting away into momentary confusion followed by a light blush and a bashful glance down at her shoes. “If you say so…”  
  
“Wow, Ayano.” Kirika’s voice was tinged with awe. “I’ve never seen anyone calm Chris down so fast!”  
  
“Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing about me. Chris is an amazing person, after all.”  
  
Her friend’s praise only caused Chris to blush even harder. _‘Oh god, I’m going to be permanently red in the face by the end of tonight.'_  
  
“Well, certainly any friend of Chris is a friend of ours!” Tsubasa cut in, feeling as if Chris had received enough embarrassment tonight. “Would you like an autograph? Something to show off to your other friends?”  
  
“Really?! An autograph from Kazanari?!” Komichi’s eyes were positively sparkling.  
  
“Not just from Tsubasa!” Maria smiled at the girl’s enthusiasm, grabbing a pen. “I’ll sign one for you too.”  
  
To everyone's surprise Komichi’s excitement seemed to evaporate in seconds, replaced by an uneasy bashfulness. “Oh… I can’t… not from Maria-sama.”  
  
Everyone exchanged puzzled glances. Finally, Miku spoke up, “Are you not a fan or-”  
  
“No, no!” Komichi waved her hands frantically, “It’s really… more the opposite. It’s just… Maria-sama isn’t just an idol. She’s also the only confirmed Symphogear, one of the heroes who has saved the world several times over.” Abruptly, she turned towards Tsubasa. “Not that you aren’t also incredible, Kazanari! But…” She glanced down. “It’s just… Maria-sama feels like she’s on a whole different level. For an ordinary girl like me to get an autograph from someone like her just isn’t right.”  
  
For a moment, no one said anything. Maria opened her mouth for a moment, thinking she could wave Komichi’s concerns off with a “it’s fine” but then she shut it again. Such a reply… just didn’t feel adequate in the face of Komichi’s objections. How was she supposed to address an argument based on such an inadequacy from someone she hardly knew?  
  
Suddenly, Maria had a very good suspicion there was another reason Chris hadn’t told Komichi about the whole Symphogear thing.  
  
No sooner had that thought occurred to Maria then did Chris speak up. “The hell it is.”  
  
“Eh?” Komichi blinked in confusion at the statement.  
  
“I said the hell it is!” Chris repeated louder, grabbing the brunette’s hand. “Remember back when I first joined Lydian? When you, Yuki, and Otome had to basically chase me around the school to get me to perform that song at the school fair? I remember you were the one who pushed me the most to do it. And I’m glad you did! You were the biggest part of what let me grow to enjoy my life at Lydian, not just go through the motions. So like hell you aren’t good enough for one of Maria’s autographs!”  
  
“Chris…” Komichi muttered in surprise and awe.  
  
Abruptly, Chris seemed to realize that all eyes in the room were on her. Trying to tamp down on her blush and recover her posture, she dropped Komichi’s hand and placed her own hands on her hips imperiously. “Just don’t put yourself down. It makes me feel bad!”  
  
Komichi thoughtfully looked between Chris, Tsubasa, and Maria a few times before finally she smiled and brought out a notebook from her bag. “Well, if it’s for Chris. I guess I’ll have one of Maria-sama’s autographs after all.”  
  
Internally, Maria cheered as she signed the offered notebook, making sure to add the little message _Take care of Chris_ for us underneath. Sure, Komichi was still being more formal with the honorifics then she had hoped but progress was progress! It looks like Chris was better at this then she liked to admit. Or, more probably, she indeed liked Komichi more than she endlessly professed otherwise. Maria was definitely putting her money on the latter eventuality.  
  
“Tsubasa, Maria.” Shinji Ogawa stuck his head through the door, “You two best be getting changed now. We don’t have long until the concert begins.”  
  
“I suppose we should give you two space to change.” Miku commented as she took Hibiki by the arm and began to usher her towards the door.  
  
Tsubasa didn’t say anything for a moment, instead shifting from one foot to another.  
  
Hibiki apparently noticed, as she paused for a moment against her girlfriend’s gentle guidance “Don’t worry one bit Tsubasa. We’re all here!”  
  
“After all, what’s the worst that could happen?” Kirika cheered happily.  
  
The entire room went dead silent as everyone stared at her incredulously. On their behalf, Shirabe raised a fist and gently clonked her girlfriend over the back of the head. “Dummy. Don’t jinx it.”  
  
-  
  
_“They lied to me. THEY LIED TO ME! More than a decade of service. A half-dozen tours of duty. The FUCKING Noise! And this is how they repay me?! How they repay Emily?! Fuck them. They’ll pay, they’ll all pay! I’m in.”_  
  
-  
  
“See? I didn’t jinx it! It went great!”  
  
“Tempting fate is still an awful thing to do Kiri-chan.” Shirabe replied.  
  
Kirika groaned and threw her hands in the air. “Well what was I supposed to say instead?”  
  
“I believe that when wishing someone in show business good luck your supposed to say something like ‘break a leg’.” Miku pointed out.  
  
“Besides, it isn’t quite over yet.” Tsubasa said. “Remember London?”  
  
Komichi blinked. “What happened in London? That concert seemed to go well.”  
  
There was an awkward pause for a few moments before Tsubasa opted for an incomplete truth. “Ah, we can’t exactly share all the details but suffice to say Maria had to fight off an attacker backstage while leaving. Feelings from the Frontier Incident were still relatively raw, after all.”  
  
Komichi’s mouth formed into a small “oh” of understanding and the conversation ended momentarily. The concert proper had indeed gone just swimmingly, with Maria and Tsubasa able to sing not just all the songs that they couldn’t get too last time but were also able to sing a couple of new songs that had been drafted in the interim. Tsubasa was relieved that the most dangerous part was out of the way.  
  
Still, as the group of eight walked back to Maria’s and Tsubasa’s dressing room, there didn’t seem to be even the slightest sign of any sort of threat. The only other people to be seen were venue workers doing their after-show jobs.  
  
Finally, Hibiki turned her head to look at the newest member of the group. “So, Ayano, how did you like the concert?”  
  
“It was fun!” Komichi pumped her fist in response. “I’ve only ever seen these on TV, but the energy of the real thing is so much different!” Then she paused as a thought occurred to her. “Although, I’ll admit, seeing the work that goes into some of the special effects did take a bit of the magic out of it.”  
  
“You felt that too, huh?” Chris murmured.  
  
“Well it’s not like we got to see the secret behind all the special effects.” Komichi quickly added. “Like that bit where you two were leaping over the surface of the water! How did you do that?!”  
  
Maria turned, smiled, and placed a single mischievous index finger over her lips. “Trade secret.”  
  
Well, it was easier than explaining that was an actual ninja technique which they had been trained in by an actual ninja.  
  
As if the thought alone had summoned him, Shinji appeared from down a side hall and fell in alongside Tsubasa. “Fantastic job out there you two! Are you feeling better now Tsubasa?”  
  
“I must admit… yes.” The swordswoman replied. “I guess Akatsuki was right in the end, our bad luck streak on these concerts have been broken.”  
  
“See? Even Tsubasa agree with me!” The blonde said.  
  
“You still shouldn’t say stuff that might jinx people.“ Shirabe quickly responded.  
  
“Well,” Shinji said as they arrived at the dressing room. “Why don’t you two take a shower and get changed and then we can take everyone out for dinner.”  
  
“Dinner?!” Komichi’s eyes widened. “With Kazanari and Maria-sama? So soon after the concert? I don’t-”  
  
“Hey!” Chris cut her off. “You are hungry right? Then really there’s no problem. Come on, Maria is still a girl like you or me.”  
  
Komichi looked like she wanted to continue to object, but Chris’s gaze hardened into a stubborn glare that everyone, Komichi included, seemed to recognize and finally she nodded her assent.  
  
‘Well, one step at a time, I suppose.’ Maria thought as she followed Tsubasa into the dressing room. Before she started stripping off her clothing though, Maria noticed that there was something on the safe she had placed her personal effects in. Something that most certainly had not been there when she had left the dressing room. A lone envelope.  
  
A momentary panic overtook her as she worried that someone might have broken into the safe but a quick examination of the contents showed that nothing Maria had placed in there was missing, most importantly the pendant she kept of her sister. Taking up the envelope, a quick examination showed no names or markings on the outside. She opened the envelope to find nothing but a solitary slip of paper. And when she read what was on the paper, a shiver ran down her spine in spite of everything.  
  
“Maria?” Tsubasa, for her part had already finished undressing and only now noticed that Maria had paused. “What is it?”  
  
“Ah!” Maria quickly folded the paper so Tsubasa couldn’t see the message. “Just some well wishes. Apparently a staff member is a fan.”  
  
“Oh.” Tsubasa blinked, “Is that really all?”  
  
“Yes!” Cursing Tsubasa’s ability to be unusually perceptive at times, Maria lied hastily. “He gets a bit over dramatic in a way that’s slightly embarrassing, but that’s all! I’ll be a long in a moment.”  
  
Accepting the explanation, Tsubasa nodded and turned for the showers. Sighing in relief, Maria resolved that Shinji had to be told about this as soon as she could get a moment alone with him. She gave one last look at the lone english sentence written on the paper before hastily stuffing it back in the envelope.  
  
_All SONGs must end._  
  
Maybe Kirika had jinxed them after all.  
  
-  
  
_“... Yes, yes. This is all an affront to God. And if God has granted me the power and opportunity to correct it, then why should I not exercise His will? I’ll join.”_  
  
-  
  
“I reviewed the security footage.” Shinji said as he sat back down into the driver's seat.  
  
“And?” It was several hours later, well into the night. Everyone had been returned home but Maria had insisted that she be the last to be dropped off so she could discuss the letter with Shinji. The ninja had taken one look at the letter and immediately drove both of them back to the venue.  
  
“Nothing. Between you and Tsubasa leaving for the concert and returning, not a single soul entered or exited the dressing room.” There had been a dedicated security camera trained on the door as a precaution against rabid fans. The exclusivity meant it had been easy for Shinji to find the relevant footage. “It remained closed and locked throughout the entire concert.”  
  
Maria frowned. “Ogawa, I _know_ that letter was not there when we left.”  
  
“And I believe you.” Shinji took the letter out again and gave it another look, as if that would provide him with some additional clue. “But the only other way into the room would be through the air ducts, but those are too small for any human being to fit through and all the covers were still in place when I checked.”  
  
“You inspected the room?”  
  
“Thoroughly. Just in case this was another alchemist, we know that some of them can teleport after all.” Shinji shook his head, “Nothing, again. The janitorial staff already cleaned the room and they didn’t report finding any of the shards of the alchemists used to carry their teleport mixtures. Unfortunately, it also means they would have inadvertently covered up the potential signs of anyone else being there. Or anything.”  
  
Maria cocked her head. “Anything?”  
  
“The only remaining possibility that I can think of.” Shinji leaned back and shut his eyes in frustration. “Someone trained a small animal to slip through the air ducts and grates.”  
  
Maria raised an eyebrow. “So someone trained a mouse or something just to send a threat?”  
  
“Makes more sense then the letter appearing out of thin air.”  
  
Well, Shinji had her there. Maria looked down again at the slip of paper. “Do you think you can figure anything out from the message?”  
  
“It looks machine-typed, so a handwriting comparison is out. And we’ve both touched it, so fingerprints would be useless.” Shinji sighed. “All we can know for sure is that someone is threatening us.”  
  
“All SONGs must end.” Maria repeated the message to herself quietly. Then she added. “Please don’t tell Tsubasa where we found this.”  
  
“Because of the concert, right?” Shinji gave a sharp glance. “Do you really think that just this would devastate her or something?”  
  
“No.” Maria replied instantly. “Tsubasa is not remotely that fragile. Or fragile at all, really. But it would mar it, even if slightly, in her mind. And I don’t want that. I want the perfect concert for her. That’s what it was until I found the letter after all.”  
  
Shinji looked down the letter one more time. “Okay. I have to report this to the commander, but I’m sure he’ll agree with that request.”  
  
“Thank y-” Maria interrupted herself with a tremendous yawn. “Oh… I’m sorry.”  
  
Shinji shrugged it off with a polite smile and started the cars engine. “It’s late and you had a big concert. Let’s get you home.”  
  
-  
  
_“This is more than a century’s old by now and my family doesn’t intend for it to last for a millenia. My only condition is that you guarantee that the last one will die by my hand.”_  
  
-  
  
“Bikky, Bikky! Take a look at this!”  
  
Hibiki turned at the familiar voice only for her view to be almost completely blocked by splotches of indistinct coloring. She jerked back in surprise and almost barely avoided prematurely swallowing the egg roll she had been chewing on.  
  
“Yumi.” Miku cut in. “I don’t think Hibiki can read whatever is in that magazine if you’ve shoved it that close to her face.”  
  
“Ah! Oops. Sorry.” The splotches of color pulled back to cohere into recognizable shapes and revealed Yumi Itaba standing before Hibiki. Plopping into the seat next to Hibiki, she set the magazine down between them, next to Hibiki’s tray packed to the brim. “I just saw this and knew it would be perfect for you!”  
  
Twisting her head and leaning over from her spot across the Lydian cafeteria table to get a better look, Miku read the title of the ad aloud. “New NERV Headset System From Laodicea Electronics Industries. Approved for Japanese Release. A radical new breakthrough in Virtual Reality.” Dropping back down, she looked up at Yumi skeptically. “And why does Hibiki need a VR set?”  
  
Yumi grinned. “Awww, Hina. Your not reading the fine print! Listen to this.” Making a show of clearing her throat, she began. “The NERV Headset takes advantage of recent breakthroughs in human-machine neural technology to provide much more than a simple visual and auditory experience. It actively uses such cutting edge hardware and software to interface with the mind and assist in its development. Repeated scientific studies and statistical reports have found that, regardless of any other variables, users of NERV System have an easier time learning new skills when using the related NERV System programs. This makes the NERV Headset System perfect not just for entertainment and physical activities, but for educational and mental ones as well.”  
  
Hibiki tilted and scratched her head in confusion. “So… umm… that means?”  
  
“The ad purports that the headset can help you study better and do better on tests.” Miku’s voice still hadn’t lost her skepticism.  
  
“EH?! Really?!" Hibiki head went from Yumi to Miku and back, her eyes widening as they processed that statement. “Wow… I had no idea that technology had advanced so far.”  
  
“I know, right?” Yumi nodded eagerly. “When I first read it, I thought it sounded exactly like something out of an anime. Anyway, I remembered how your always worried about passing the next test and I thought this could be a great boost for you.”  
  
“Yumi!” Shiori Terashima called out as she approached, lunch tray in hand, with Kuriyo Ando trailing slightly behind. “Are you bugging Bikky and Hina about that headset thing?”  
  
“She’s been going on about it all morning.” Kuriyo added. “And towards the end she seemed to get in her head that it’d be perfect for you, Bikky. Although really, I think she just wants one for herself.”  
  
“Those aren’t mutually exclusive.” Miku observed. “Although I’d have to do more research before I’m convinced this is as good as it sounds. There’s buying good luck charms at a shrine, then there’s this sort of thing.“  
  
Shiori nodded. “That’s what I thought. Those kinds of headsets may not exactly be as expensive as they used to be, but their still not cheap.”  
  
“Well, I would like to believe it.” Hibiki said examining the ad more closely. Certainly, with the salary she and Miku got as part of SONG, affording this would be no problem. But nonetheless... “I have to trust Miku though. She tends to have good instincts about these sorts of things.”  
  
“Ah, ye of little faith!” Yumi faked some disappointment for a moment before grinning and grabbing up the magazine again. “It’s just an idea but I guess it would be better to confirm these claims first. Let me go get my lunch then we can chat about it some more.”  
  
Hibiki began to nod before the full implications caught on to her. “Wait, you came straight here with that?”  
  
“Yep!” Was all Yumi called back as she took off for the serving table.  
  
“Like we said, she’s been going on about it all morning.” Kuriyo said as she took the seat next to Miku.  
  
For her part, Shiori took her seat on the other side of Hibiki from where Yumi had been. “Although it has been awhile since we’ve had the opportunity to just chat like this.”  
  
“Oh, your right!” Hibiki perked up. “I think the last time we’ve just talked was… um…”  
  
“Just before winter break.” Kuriyo recalled. “You know, after that big test Hina helped you pass?”  
  
Miku eyebrows scrunched together in thought. “That long? Really?”  
  
“Yep!” Shiori recalled. “Although we’ll admit, we did want to give you two a bit of space.”  
  
Hibiki blinked. “Why?”  
  
Shiori grinned. “Well, word on the school grapevine was that you two finally confessed to each other. I kinda don’t believe it, because how were you two not already basically married?”  
  
As if they were in-synch, Miku and Hibiki shifted uncomfortably in an almost identical manner. Shiori’s grin dropped for one of disbelief. “You mean… you two weren’t already…”  
  
“Well… we kinda always knew. About how we felt for each other.” Miku’s blush grew with every sentence. “It’s just we never really put it into words until last February.”  
  
“Although I’m glad we did!” Hibiki declared, suddenly reaching across the table to seize both of Miku’s hands. “And I’ll say it as many times as I need too: I love you, Miku!”  
  
Miku’s already rather intense blush erupted into a full inferno as Shiori and Kuriyo gaped at such a blunt statement.  
  
“EH?!” That cry hadn’t come from Miku though. The four at the table turned to see Yumi standing just a few feet away from the table, who had dropped her tray on the floor and appeared to be in a state of shock. “Bikky and Hina are actually together?!”  
  
Now the stare from Shiori became incredulous. “How are _you_ the only one who didn’t already know that?”  
  
-  
  
_“The training regimen seems acceptable. I would rather beat him in a fair fight though… No? Fine. It isn’t a dealbreaker, there are other ways for me to prove myself. I’ll do it.”_  
  
-  
  
The sun had already set by the time Miku and Hibiki began to make their way back to their apartment. After Hibiki’s impassioned reaffirmation of her feelings for Miku, the rest of the school day had passed uneventfully enough and Hibiki had agreed to make-up to embarrassing Miku by volunteering as their shopping bag mule for their mall trip. Ever unwilling to let Hibiki shoulder the burden, however, Miku had insisted on taking at least a few of the bags for herself. Not coincidentally it also freed up just enough of Hibiki’s arm space that the two were able to hold hands as they walked home.  
  
“What should we have for dinner tonight?” Miku asked as they turned onto their street.  
  
Hibiki glanced down into one of the shopping bags as she considered the question. “Well, we picked up enough pork. So how about some Tonkatsu?”  
  
“That sounds good.” Miku agreed. The two lapsed back into a comfortable silence for a few seconds, just enjoying the presence of each other’s company.  
  
Hibiki felt it was a wonderful moment. And it was thoroughly ruined the moment she first noticed him.  
  
They were just one building over when she noticed him. She probably wouldn’t have seen him at all had it not been for a moment where his sunglasses caught the light off of a nearby street lamps. It only later occurred to Hibiki to wonder who wore sunglasses at night. He was standing just across the street from them, albeit further down by several dozen meters, at the lip of an alley and standing just within the pool of light from one of the street lamps. The business suit, sans tie, did make her briefly consider it was someone from SONG. But wouldn’t someone from SONG be waiting for them directly in front of the building?  
  
But what caused her to stop was the rigid intensity of the man’s gaze. Even behind the sunglasses, Hibiki could feel the intensity of his stare directed straight at her and Miku. It made her feel as if she was being studied by a microscope. It took another second for her to realize that even from here she could tell the man’s skin was stupendously pale. Hibiki, as with most Japanese, had largely been socialized to regard pale skin as a sign of beauty. But this man seemed so pallid that any sense of attraction was completely washed away instead by an uncanny feeling of unease.  
  
Before she could make out anything more, Miku noticed that Hibiki had suddenly stopped as she started to pull ahead. She turned in confusion. “Hibiki? Is everything alright?”  
  
“Oh, uh… yeah.” Her voice pulled Hibiki’s attention away from the awfully pale man and back to Miku. “Hey Miku do you know…” She trailed off as she looked back to find the man was gone, vanished as completely as if he never existed.  
  
“Huh?” Miku turned her own head in the direction Hibiki was looking for a few moments and, finding nothing, then turned with a worried expression back to her girlfriend. “Is everything alright?”  
  
Hibiki blinked a few times, then gave a brief laugh. Were her other hand free, she probably would have been scratching the back of her head with it in embarrassment. “Yeah. Thought I saw someone and was wondering if you knew him. Guess it was just my imagination.”  
  
And yet even as they entered the front door of the apartment complex, Hibiki couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a pair of eyes whose gaze was boring their way into the back of her head.

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So begins this fic idea I've had rattling around in my brain since I marathoned Symphogear two weeks ago, particularly since it's a fandom badly in need of quality fic works. We'll see if this is good enough to qualify as such.
> 
> In case the sunglasses didn't make it obvious enough, this is NOT a Slenderman crossover. Although I would be lying if I said I didn't take at least a little inspiration from it. It isn't the only inspiration that should become apparent, though I'll let you guys try to find those.
> 
> Next, honorifics. I have largely decided to discard them in favor of using "last name/first name" basis to illustrate degrees of formality/informality. The big exception here is when I need to use them for emphasis, such as when a character is explicitly invoking a form of address or their use is somehow unusual. You can see an example of that with Komichi's attitude towards Maria.
> 
> Speaking of Komichi, believe it or not she is NOT an OC... mostly. She's one of the trio of classmates who chases Chris around near the start of G. I'd be amazed at anime's willingness to give otherwise unobtrusive background characters names if I hadn't seen it done well before Symphogear. Of course, having virtually no canon characterization means I'm gonna have to invent all of it, hence the "mostly".
> 
> Finally, a fair bit of warning here: some rather major canon characters are going to die. The villains here are going to be targeting not just the Symphogear adaptors, but also their support base and that's going to mean casualties. Precisely who is gonna bite it would be spoiling but I don't want anyone accusing me of springing this sort of thing on them.


	2. Come and See

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentally labelled the bulk of this chapter "slice of life interrupted by spooky dude". You'll probably be able to figure out why.

Distortions  
Chapter 2:  
Come and See

\----

  
Miku first saw him the very next afternoon.  
  
By that point, she was already aware that something had been bugging Hibiki and what it was. Her girlfriend had started the day well enough - that is by oversleeping - but starting from the walk to school she had become increasingly jumpy, especially when they were walking outside from one building to the other. By the lunch period, Hibiki had already informed Miku that she had spotted a very pale man in a business suit watching them, not just the night before but twice on the way to school and several times while moving between classes.  
  
Hibiki had even spotted him once during class, when she was looking out the window. Miku was able to narrow down which class that had been by the fact that Hibiki was yelled at by the teacher for being distracted, which perhaps counted as a favor since it fulfilled the daily quota. So far, Hibiki had reassured her he had never appeared inside the school grounds; he was always either just in front of the gate, on one of the surrounding streets, or the rooftops of the surrounding buildings.  
  
Piano class was one of the few classes Miku had without Hibiki. Among all the musical instruments, Miku had found piano to be her favorite. She just found something soothing about losing herself to the hand motions and the melody they created. Hibiki had tried the piano but she had a tendency to smash on the keys too hard, which risked damaging the components, something which Chris had made a number of jokes about when she had found out. In that first month after their confession, when Hibiki’s embrace alone didn’t seem to be enough to ward off Miku’s nightmares, the two had found that what worked best for Miku was to just play a little on the small piano they had acquired for their home with Hibiki next to her, just resting her head on Miku’s shoulder.  
  
They still occasionally did that now before bed, especially on non-school nights when they could afford to stay up a little later, even though it had been months since Miku’s last nightmare.  
  
The class was nearing its end and Miku had already finished her independent practice, moving instead to clean the instrumentation. Her piano’s position gave her an ideal view of the gate and it was with what was supposed to be an errant glance as she shut the piano keys cover that she saw him. Even at this distance, she could tell his gaze was fixed on her with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. And somehow, she could feel that he _saw_ her as perfectly as if she was standing right in front of him.  
  
It took another moment for Miku to notice something else. The street outside was reasonably busy, for the time of day, and yet the people on it seemed to take no notice of an unnaturally pale man standing literally a single step outside an all-girls music school. As if to illustrate the point, Miku watched a pair of students walk right by the gate and they didn’t so much as glance at him.  
  
“Kohinata!” The teacher’s call caused Miku to flinch and quickly snapped her attention towards the front of the room.  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“Could you stay after class?” The piano teacher was a kindly man who had a strong reputation for the fair treatment of his students, so it was something of a surprise when he went on to say, “I’d like to talk to you about possible career options. It is your last year, you know, and you have been one of the best piano students I’ve had this year.”  
  
“Certainly, sensei.” Miku quickly nodded. As he smiled and turned away, Miku quickly glanced back out the window.  
  
The pale man was already gone. That didn’t make her feel any better.

\----

Tsubasa was at one of those variety quiz shows when she first saw him.  
  
Initially, she barely noticed his presence. His was just an unusually pale face in the crowd of the studio audience, situated relatively towards the back, and she at first wrote him off just as some foreign tourists who had gotten a ticket to the show. But just as she began to really register the fact that his gaze never seemed to waver from her, regardless of who was talking or what was happening among the participants and host, Tsubasa was distracted by a question from the host and he was gone when her attention turned back to the audience.  
  
But the big confrontation came after the quiz show was over. Tsubasa was returning to the studio’s guest room when she saw the pale man again… talking to Ogawa? Tsubasa practically froze mid-step when she saw the ninja, with his glasses on, speaking to the pale man with a polite smile across the backstage area from her. At the distance they were at, their conversation was just a distant murmur.  
  
As Tsubasa redirected herself and instead began to make her way towards the two, the two seemed to finish their conversation. The pale man simply gave Ogawa polite farewell nod, turned, and walked off at a brisk pace.  
  
“Ogawa.” Tsubasa greeted her manager-slash-bodyguard. “Who was that?”  
  
Ogawa simply blinked at the question. “Who was what?”  
  
Tsubasa gave him a sharp look. “The man you were just talking too!”  
  
“Oh! Him!” Ogawa was back to his polite smile. “He said he was just a representative from another station. He wanted to know if your schedule was open for an interview this week. Unfortunately, we already had you fully booked.”  
  
Well, that certainly explained why that pale man was here, but not why he was watching Tsubasa like a hawk during the show. “Did… anything seem strange about him?”  
  
“Well…” Ogawa said frowning as his brow furrowed. “Now that you mention it. He did seem a little ill. Must have had a cold.”  
  
Tsubasa turned and narrowed her eyes in the direction the man had walked off too. Normally, Ogawa had a good instinct about people that Tsubasa had learned to trust. It came with the territory. Ninja and all. But Tsubasa also knew it wasn’t perfect. Ryoko had proven that.  
  
“Is everything okay, Tsubasa?” Ogawa asked.  
  
“I don’t know.”

\----

Chris was with Komichi when she first saw him.  
  
They never really stuck to a single location in terms of their post-class meet-ups. Or perhaps to be more accurate, they were still trying to find a location that they liked to visit regularly. The college’s location relative to Flower made it too inconvenient, otherwise Chris would have unhesitatingly brought them there regularly.  
  
The restaurant they were at today seemed nice enough, with a nice view of the sea from the outdoor tables and a not unreasonable train ride from the college. Whenever the two had found an agreeable enough place they would do what any two _good friends_ who regularly visit a locale do: talk. At first, their conversations had been limited to their classes- They were classmates after all, and their initial meet-ups had been about the convenience of having a study partner whom they already knew; but as their relationship deepened, Chris and Komiji had begun to share personal details that they had never mentioned to each other when they had only been _good friends_.  
  
But the conversation they were having at the moment… was not one of those conversations.  
  
“-And that’s why rainbow sprinkles are sure to be the future for donut toppings!” Komichi confidently finished. Then she paused as she noticed the look Chris was giving her. “What?”  
  
“Well, first off.” Chris began. “The opposite of tuna isn’t chicken. Salmon is the opposite of tuna.”  
  
Komichi blinked. “How do you figure? Aren’t they both fish?”  
  
“Well yeah. But you gotta look deeper than that.” Chris was about to jab her fork to emphasize her point, but at the last moment restrained herself. She was making more of an effort with her table manners around Komichi after the brunette had laughed at her at the first restaurant they had been too. “Ya see, salmon swim against the current while the tuna swim with it.”  
  
“I see.” Komichi said in thought. “Although that deal sounds like it works better for the tuna.”  
  
“Suppose so.” Chris agreed. “But anyways, the second thing! Rainbow sprinkles are everywhere these days. They’re already too common for them to be the future of donut toppings!”  
  
“What would you recommend instead?”  
  
Chris brought a hand to her chin, thinking for a while before answering, “Pineapple slices, I guess?”  
  
Komichi stared in disbelief for a second before she burst out laughing. “That’s awful! H-how would that even work?!”  
  
“I don’t know!” Chris blushed. “They do it for pizza!”  
  
“Yes!” Komichi managed between her gales of laughter. “And it’s _awful_!”  
  
“Whatever!” Chris crossed her arms as Komichi finished laughing, disgruntled. “Why are we even talking about this?”  
  
Wiping the last of her tears from her eyes, Komichi gave a delighted sigh. “I don’t know. We just kinda started a little while ago.” She smiled. “It’s nice though, isn’t it?”  
  
“I-I suppose.” Her smile made Chris’s insides suddenly feel… squishy, she supposed is how she would describe it. _‘God, Is this how Kohinata and that idiot feel around each other all the time? I… I guess I could get used to this.’_  
  
Feeling quite self-conscious, Chris turned her gaze towards the sea… and saw the pale man.  
  
He was standing right next to the fence that separated the boardwalk from the sea, next to some guy with a camera who was looking in the other direction, and his laser-like gaze felt like it was boring straight into Chris’s soul. Suddenly confronted with such a bizarre and uncomfortable sight, one that reminded her a bit too much of some of the looks she received when she had been trafficked about, Chris reacted almost instinctively.  
  
“HEY!” She shouted, shooting up from her chair. “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT, YA CREEP?!”  
  
“Chris?!” Komichi recoiled in alarm. “What’s wrong?”  
  
“That guy!” Chris looked back to Komichi and pointed straight out at the pale man. “He was staring at us like…” She trailed off as she turned back only to find the pale man was gone and the cameraman instead had turned around, looking rather startled by her shouting. “What the-?”  
  
“Excuse me, miss.” The waitress had approached at her shout. “Is everything alright?”  
  
“Ah, yes!” Chris hastily replied, quickly taking her seat. “I just… thought I saw something and was startled by it, that is all.”  
  
“I see.” The waitress gave a polite smile. “Since I am here, do you need anything else?”  
  
“No. I think we’re fine.” Komiji replied quickly.  
  
Chris nodded in agreement and tried to get back on track, but in truth she didn’t feel fine; not any more.

\----

Maria was giving a solo concert when she first saw him.

It was a minor affair compared to even her regular concerts, much less one of the big joint ones she liked to have with Tsubasa. Its small size and lack of ambition is what allowed her to host it so soon after the big one with Tsubasa.  
  
_“I’ve changed, so I can move on with pride.  
I sing a dream in my heart… in silver.”_  
  
Maria finished the last lyric in Kono Ima wo Ikiru Hikari, her opening song for the night, and then, as the music hammered out the final note, bowed as applause and cheers rippled through the audience. She waited for the noise to settle before segueing into a little banter.  
  
“Everyone! Thank you for coming!” She said. It was basic boilerplate stuff, but the crowds always seemed to appreciate it. “We have a great show for you tonight and I hope you enjoy my perform-”  
  
Then one of the screens, the ones that focused on her face so audience members behind her or otherwise at odd and distant angles could see her, broke. By itself, that wouldn’t have been enough to throw Maria off her groove- Technical problems happened in show business, particularly at the less well-prepared concerts where there wasn’t as much time or staff to make sure everything was running at 100%; you just had to roll with it. A screen’s feed cutting to static was rather tame as far as these things went.  
  
Except the screen didn’t go to static. Or to be more accurate, it didn’t just go to static. Rather, one moment it was showing Maria talking into her microphone on stage. The next moment it was static. And then the very next moment it showed the pale man, staring down from the screen right at her.  
  
Maria froze, and not just because of the unexpected sight. Intellectually, she understood that the screen was for viewing others, not to be viewed. But a feeling welled up in her gut that the man on the screen could see her just as assuredly as she could see him. As if to make it all the weirder, the background behind the man indicated he was standing at the same place Maria was right now. When she realized that, she quickly glanced around to confirm that, yes, she was indeed alone on the stage right now.  
  
Maria blinked and just like that, the screen was back to normal. The crowd didn’t seem to have noticed the broken - was it broken? - screen. But they did notice Maria’s pause, which by this point was going on multiple seconds, and a wave of confusion visibly passed through them  
  
Tamping down on the feeling of unease, Maria swiftly realized that she had to get back on track before she accidentally wasted too much time and basically ruined the entire concert. “S-sorry about that everyone! Anyway, as I was saying, I wish you all well, and I hope everyone here enjoys my performance tonight!”  
  
But as the next song began, Maria felt that unease, though eminently ignorable, just would not go away.

\----

Kirika and Shirabe were on an after-school date together when they first saw him.  
  
Had Chris been with them at the time, she probably would have shouted at them to get a room several times by now. The amount of handholding and ice cream sharing would have probably been downright unsanitary in her eyes. But while Shirabe and Kirika liked their senpai very much, they also felt like she was kind of a prude, though they were smart enough to never actually say as much when Chris was in earshot.  
  
However, the current moment didn’t allow much for that, probably to the imaginary Chris’s relief. She probably would have found other reasons to be exasperated. For example, what Kirika was doing at the moment. In Kirika’s defense, the grey fish in the Tokyo Sky Tower’s aquarium just wouldn’t change its face regardless of what face she herself was making.  
  
“Kiri-chan.” Shirabe, ever the epitome of patience, finally said after a solid minute of this. “I don’t think the fish can make any other sort of face.”  
  
“I know that! I just want him to laugh!” Kirika replied, failing to notice that her snappy reply sent the fish scurrying away from the glass. She turned back. “Ah! He ran off!”  
  
“Honestly.” Shirabe quietly smiled as Kirika went back to try and get the attention of another fish. Presumably to make more faces at.  
  
She glanced briefly over her shoulder… and saw the pale man. He was on the second level balcony, staring down at them. It was only because of the way Shirabe had to tilt her head to cast her gaze over her shoulder that she saw him. Almost immediately, Shirabe snapped her head back forward. Then she carefully turned her head towards Kirika until she could see him out of the corner of her eyes.  
  
She took a step to the left. Almost imperceptibly, his gaze adjusted. She stepped to the right. It followed.  
  
“Kiri-chan.” Shirabe almost whispered.  
  
“Yeah?” Kirika replied, still trying to catch the attention of a shark.  
  
“Do you see the very pale man watching us from the second floor balcony?”  
  
Kirika paused. Then she spun around and very visibly started scanning the second balcony.  
  
Shirabe resisted the brief temptation to throttle her precious, wonderful, _totally derpy_ girlfriend with well practiced patience. After all, it wasn’t like she herself couldn’t be like that. Fortunately, the pale man didn’t seem to notice.  
  
Kirika then turned back and then slowly turned her head towards Shirabe, as Shirabe herself had done earlier. “Yeah, I see him. Think he might be trouble?”  
  
“I don’t know. Let’s confront him.” Shirabe indicated the stairs behind them, to the left.  
  
“What if he runs?” Kirika said back.  
  
Shirabe paused to think on it; then, “There’s another set of stairs over there that lead to the same hallway that connects with the other side of the balcony. You go over there, call me when your ready, then you run up the stairs. And if he’s real trouble… you have Igalima?”  
  
“Of course. And you have Shul-Shagana?” Shirabe nodded, but Kirika continued “But won’t the commander get angry if we just use them on some random weirdo?”  
  
“I have a feeling he isn’t just some random weirdo.” Shirabe muttered back.  
  
Kirika paused. “You might be right. That stare isn’t natural.” Then she raised her voice. “Hey, Shirabe. I’ve got to run to the restroom. Can you wait here?”  
  
Shirabe made the motion of very visibly nodding and Kirika, with a quick “Be right back!” ran off to her right. It was good thinking on her part, since the restrooms did lay in that direction. Surreptitiously, Shirabe glanced at the pale man from the corner of her eye.  
  
His head steadily turned to follow Kirika until she was out of sight then turned back to stare down at Shirabe. He made no other movement. Good.  
  
About a half-minute later, her phone rang.  
  
“I’m in position.” Kirika said. Shirabe quickly glanced at the pale man. He still hadn’t moved.  
  
“When I say go… GO.” Shirabe said, quickly hanging up, spinning around, and charging up the two flights of stairs. A few of the other visitors glanced at her in surprise but she moved with only just enough speed. She turned at the top to find the Pale Man was already gone but undeterred, she took off across the balcony and into the hallway on the other end.  
  
She and Kirika wound-up almost running into each other there.  
  
“What?! Did he get past you? No way!” They both said to each other simultaneously.  
  
They paused to catch their breath. “W-where did he go?” Kirika said, her head whipping around. “I didn’t see him at all!”  
  
“I don’t know.” Shirabe said. “And… I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him.”  
  


\----

  
The final straw came at Lydian.  
  
Hibiki hummed happily as she waited for Miku to finish her piano class. For once, today had actually been going quite well. She hadn’t been yelled at. A quiz had returned with a grade in the solid 80s. And best of all, neither her or Miku had seen that creepy pale guy once today so far.  
  
The Pale Man - Hibiki still wasn’t sure when she had begun to think of that description in terms of a proper noun - had been a regular presence throughout the week and the two girls had found that the pace of encounters had done nothing to reduce how unnerving his sudden presence and watchful gaze could be. Only the fact that he had just been watching them, and always at a distance, had prevented them from already informing Genjuro or calling anyone else yet. They were close, though, as his appearances were making them nervous.  
  
Hibiki had already become jumpy when it came to sudden movements at the edge of her vision and Miku was feeling more and more apprehensive. It was as if the Pale Man’s mere presence was wearing at their nerves. Which made it all quite the relief when the last day of the week had thus far been completely free of any sign of him.  
  
“Hibiki.” Miku softly greeted as she exited her class.  
  
“Hey Miku!” Hibiki greeted back. The two comfortably fell in alongside one another as they began to walk down the hallway. “Good class?”  
  
“Rather routine, really.” Miku checked over her shoulder for a moment before asking the question, “Any sign of him?”  
  
Hibiki pumped her fist. “Nope! You?”  
  
“No.” Miku sighed with relief. “Not a sign.”  
  
“Looks like he’s gone. What a relief!”  
  
They turned the corner to the hallway leading to the stairs only to instantly freeze because the Pale Man stood at the very next intersection, facing their way. As if he had been waiting for them.  
  
“Okay.” Hibiki bit out. “That’s it. I’ve had enough.”  
  
“Hibiki?” Miku asked worriedly. “What-”  
  
“HEY! YOU!” Hibiki shouted as she took off towards the Pale Man.  
  
The moment Hibiki had shouted, the Pale Man turned and quickly walked down the other hall, disappearing out of sight.  
  
“Hibiki, wait!” Miku said as she recovered from her surprise.  
  
“COME BACK HERE! WE NEED TO TALK!” Hibiki shouted as she sprinted around the hall turn the Pale Man had walked down. Miku heard a shout of surprise and the sound of two bodies impacting the ground. Miku herself took off running but even before she reached the intersection, she heard a third, very familiar voice speak up.  
  
“TA-CHI-BA-NA!”  
  
Miku stopped at the turn and, sure enough, there was Hibiki just sitting back up, a spread of documents, and a rather angry Nakane climbing back to her feet.  
  
“Just what do you think you’re doing running down the halls! Especially without checking where you were going!” The blonde teacher shouted as she reached down, grabbed Hibiki’s arm, and yanked her to her feet. “Look at the mess you caused!”  
  
“Sorry sensei!” Hibiki replied hastily. “But I saw a suspicious person and he went down this hallway.”  
  
Nakane quirked a skeptical eyebrow and her next words were full of skepticism. “Nobody went passed me.”  
  
“It’s true. Sensei.” Miku jumped in. “Both me and Hibiki saw a very suspicious man in the hallway and Hibiki chased him this way. This isn’t really the first time we’ve seen him either. He’s been hanging around the school for several days now, but today is the first time we saw him in the school.”  
  
The anger disappeared from Nakane’s face, replaced first by puzzlement, then by thought, and finally concern. “This man, what did he look like?”  
  
Glad to have the teacher’s anger at her defused for the moment, Hibiki quickly replied. “We haven’t gotten a very good look at his face yet. But he’s wearing a business suit, a pair of sunglasses, and looks really pale.”  
  
“Oh dear.” The look on Nakane’s face was down right grave now. “I had already been informed of a suspicious person with such a description around the campus by two second-years earlier today and told the principle. But if you two have seen him again already… we might need to have a faculty meeting.”  
  
Miku and Hibiki exchanged a look of surprise. So somebody else had seen him after all? Then the same suspicion overcame both of them. “Another two underclassmen have seen him?” Miku asked.  
  
“Yes.” Nakane said. “I think I’ve seen you with them before in fact. Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi, I believe?” Then another scowl crossed her face. “But Tachibana!”  
  
“Yes!” Hibiki snapped to attention.  
  
“If you see a suspicious person on campus, you should find a faculty member to report him to. Or a police officer. Don’t try to chase him down on you own! What if he were a kidnapper?”  
  
Hibiki wanted to sigh, but knew that would only drag the lecture out even more. “Yes, sensei.”  
  
“As long as you understand.” Nakane glanced down at all the school documents the collision had spread everywhere. “Now could you two help me pick these up?”  
  
Eager to get back on the teacher’s good side, Hibiki nodded and scrambled down to begin gathering the documents back up. But the moment Nakane couldn’t see them, both Miku and Hibiki shot each other a look of silent agreement.  
  
They were definitely calling the others first thing after school today.

\----

“Have any of you seen a very pale man following you around?” Maria opened practically without any other preamble the moment their drinks had been served at the corner booth they had chosen.  
  
Chris, who had already started taking a sip, almost spewed it across the entire table. “You’ve seen him too?!”  
  
“He first appeared in a screen at one of my concerts this week.” Maria confirmed. “I’ve seen him in person at least four more times since then.”  
  
“I first saw him talking to Ogawa at a show, who seemed to think he was a rep from another station. He walked off before I could talk to him.” Tsubasa said. “He was at the next two shows I did, but Ogawa didn’t mention him again. And I saw him again outside my home last night.”  
  
“I first saw him walking home with Miku several nights ago.” Hibiki glanced around nervously. “Then Miku saw him the next day, during her piano class.”  
  
“We’ve both seen him a number of times since.” Miku confirmed. “He appeared inside Lydian just yesterday. Hibiki chased him down another hallway… but he was gone by the time she turned the corner. She ran right into a teacher too.” Hibiki blanched in embarrassment at that. “Nobody else at the school, besides Kirika and Shirabe, seems to have seen him. That’s when we called everyone here.”  
  
“Kiri-chan and I saw him at the aquarium.” Shirabe said.  
  
Kirika nodded quickly. “We tried to corner him on the second level, since there were only two ways up there, so I looped around and Shirabe doubled back… but he was gone! Then we saw him on Lydian grounds this morning when we entered the school.”  
  
Everybody turned to stare at Chris. “I was at a restaurant with Komichi when I first saw him. I shouted at him and that seemed to scare him off for a moment. But then I saw him watching me from the station platform after I saw off Komichi and boarded the train home. And at the station near my home when the train pulled in. He was gone by the time I was through the door though. And yeah, I’ve seen him several more times since.” She scowled. “Who the hell is he?”  
  
“Or perhaps what is he?” Maria said levelly. “The places he is able to get and how fast he is able to escape, they just don’t match-up with any ordinary human abilities.”  
  
“An alchemist? A autoscorer? Another Symphogear Adaptor?” Shirabe was frowning even as she posited those ideas.  
  
“An alchemist seems more likely.” Tsubasa nodded. “But those teleportation crystals they use… their rather noticeable, both leaving and arriving. And it doesn’t explain why others haven’t really noticed him.”  
  
“Maybe he’s a ghost who’s decided to haunt us?” Hibiki suggested.  
  
“I-idiot!” Chris immediately replied, suddenly going slightly pale herself. “Don’t joke like that!”  
  
“B-besides.” Kirika added. “A g-ghost is just too ridiculous.”  
  
“Kiri-chan.” Shirabe said. “We’re song-powered magical girls who have literally punched a mad scientist, eldritch abominations, an ancient Sumerian priestess, the Illuminati, and the moon in the face.”  
  
“We punched the ancient Sumerian priestess.” Chris grumbled, indicating Hibiki and Tsubasa as well.  
  
Miku giggled. “When you put it like that, it sounds rather ridiculous. And makes a ghost sound rather tame.”  
  
“If we’re going to speculate.” Maria swiftly cut in before they could get too off-topic. “What if he’s a custodian?”  
  
A moment of silence met that question. The last custodian they had fought was Shem-Ha. That was tough enough and she had only been around for a few days. How bad would one who had been around for almost a week, probably even more?  
  
“Well...” Hibiki’s face was scrunched up in thought. “That sounds like it might be possible. Although they aren’t exactly the spooky and silent type.“  
  
“How do we know that?” Chris challenged. “We’ve met a grand total of two. Hardly a telling sample size.”  
  
“Maybe he’s a friendly custodian?” Kirika offered. “Like Enki was?”  
  
Tsubasa raised an eyebrow. “Stalking us doesn’t seem very friendly.”  
  
“Well, they aren’t human, right?” Hibiki seemed to be warming to the idea. “And if they haven’t been around humans for 5,000 years, then they might not know stalking is impolite.”  
  
“Wait, why are we assuming he hasn’t been around for 5,000 years?” Maria asked.  
  
“Well, Enki did say that all the other custodians left when Shem-Ha turned against them. That would be 5,000 years ago.” Miku nodded.  
  
“Um… g-guys.” Kirika said, staring wide-eyed across the room. She was too quiet though, and nobody heard her.  
  
“Then why did he come back?” Tsubasa challenged.  
  
Hibiki thought for a moment. “Maybe he noticed the curse of balal was lifted and wanted to know why?”  
  
“Guys.” Kirika said, louder this time.  
  
“Then why is he stalking _us_?” Chris demanded.  
  
“He’s… curious about the Symphogears?”  
  
Chris opened her mouth to challenge that guess once more, but Kirika interrupted her.  
  
“Guys!” She said loud enough to finally have everyone pay attention to her. Then she pointed. “T-the Pale Man. He’s here.”  
  
They looked. And sure enough, standing on the other end of the cafe next to the employee’s only door was the Pale Man, his gaze trained on the seven. As the adaptors processed the sight, a waitress passed the Pale Man and went through the service door. He immediately turned and began to follow her.  
  
“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!” Chris shouted, practically leaping over the table as she raced across the cafe, catching the attention of every other customer in the process. The Pale Man simply ignored her and continued on through the door. A few seconds later, Chris burst into the kitchen after him… only to be met by the stares of two cooks and the waitress, who had turned around at the commotion. Of the Pale Man, there was no sign.  
  
“Miss?” The waitress began. “Can we help you?”  
  
Chris felt her face began to heat up. “Um… no. I’m fine.”  
  
The waitress tilted her head in confusion. “Then… I’m sorry, but this area is for employees only.”  
  
“Right. Sorry.” Chris answered. “I’ve gotta go.”  
  
She beat a hasty retreat back to her table. Her face burned under the diminishing stares of the other customers as she made her way back over to the booth and plopped back down.  
  
Tsubasa pulled out her communicator. “That’s it. I’m calling the commander.”

\----

“A pale man?” Genjuro muttered to himself. They were all crammed in Genjuro’s office aboard SONGs HQ, rather then the bridge. Like most of the rooms on board the submarine, it was rather spacious by submarine standards, but it was still ultimately a submarine and nine people plus furniture all stuffed in meant that elbow room was starting to become limited.  
  
Tsubasa nodded. “We’ve all seen him. Both individually and as a group. He acts just as we described, appearing and disappearing in impossible places. And always watching us. He convinced Ogawa he was from another TV station.”  
  
Genjuro turned to his second. “Ogawa, do you remember this man?”  
  
Ogawa looked troubled. “I remember the man who said he was from another TV station. I remember telling him that Tsubasa was booked for the week and thinking he looked a little sick. I remember the conversation I had with Tsubasa afterwards. But thinking back on it now, I can’t remember anything else about him. I don’t remember exactly what he looked like or if he introduced himself or even how exactly he approached me.” He bowed his head. “I’m sorry.”  
  
“It’s alright.” Genjuro said. “It sounds like this Pale Man has some ability to manipulate people’s perceptions and memories of him. It sounds like he was able to use that to make you think he wasn’t suspicious until you heard this.”  
  
Ogawa shook his head. “No. I should have pursued this when Tsubasa first asked me about him.”  
  
“Regardless.” Genjuro was clearly mollifying his subordinate. “What’s done is done and we can’t always expect perfection, particularly not all the time. What matters is what we can do about him.”  
  
“Is it necessary to do anything about him?” Kirika asked. “All he’s done is watch us.”  
  
“And he hadn’t ever done so from within Lydian. Until today. What if he goes further then just watching?” Chris countered. “And even if he never does anything else, do you want this ultra-creepy looking dude following you and Shirabe around uninvited for the rest of your life?”  
  
“No.” Shirabe replied. “Kiri-chan, Chris is right. We have to do something about the Pale Man.”  
  
“I’d like to talk to him.” Hibiki said. “To try and figure out who he is and why he is doing this. But we can’t do that if he just… runs away every time.”  
  
Genjuro crossed his arms. “Frankly, all I can do right now is to investigate him through our contacts and assign personal security with orders to look out for and confront the Pale Man if they see him. But given the capabilities you described, it doesn’t sound like they would do much good. For now, just try to bear with it. If he does turn hostile… don’t hesitate to try and take him down. If you have to resort to your gears to do it, then do so. I trust all of your judgement.”  
  
“If he suddenly goes hostile, he might attack us before we can activate our gears.” Maria observed.  
  
“Heh… well, he’s in for a surprise if he thinks he could do that so easily.” Chris smirked. “Not with the training the old man here has put us through.”  
  
“Not all of us.” Tsubasa glanced over at Miku. “Kohinata hasn’t received any training outside of her gear.”  
  
Hibiki went rigid despite the comforting hand Miku quickly placed on her shoulder.  
  
“Then perhaps we should try to correct that.” Genjuro said. “Tachibana, Kohinata. You are both free tomorrow?”  
  
Miku could sense where this was going and nodded. For her own part, Hibiki broke out into a grin, her earlier fear replaced with excitement. “Master, you mean-”  
  
“Yes.” Genjuro nodded. “How about you both come down to get some training done.”  
  
Chris blanched. Miku was going to go through _that_?  
  
“I’d be happy too.” Miku said instantly.  
  
“YES!” Hibiki was practically leaping with excitement. “I’m going to get to train with Miku!”  
  
Genjuro grinned broadly. “Good! I’ll see you both first thing in the morning then!”  
  
At the implied dismissal, the girls got up and began to filter through the door. Chris, however, quickly stopped Miku and Hibiki right outside. “You… you do know what you’re getting into, right Kohinata?”  
  
Miku nodded. “I remember when Hibiki started training. I didn’t say anything at the time, but I did follow her. At the time, it upset me that Hibiki wasn’t telling me why but looking back on it now, it makes me proud of her. And if I want to be able to stand by your side, I’ll have to do it too.”  
  
“Besides, Chris, Miku was on the track team in middle school, remember?” Hibiki threw an arm around Miku in a great big bear hug. “She’s way tougher than she looks. Don’t you underestimate my Miku.”  
  
Miku blushed at the proclamation of “my Miku”, but simply opted to remain silent and enjoy Hibiki’s hug.  
  
“Alright, alright!” Chris muttered, flustered, turning away in a huff. “Jeeze, do that stuff at home.”  
  
Back in the office, Genjuro turned to Ogawa. “Ogawa-”  
  
“Sir, I’d like to apologize, again.” Ogawa said. “I should never have let the Pale Man-”  
  
“Ogawa!” It wasn’t often that Genjuro had to see his friend beating himself up over a failure and he hated it. That said, he also knew that simply saying that Shinji was forgiven wouldn’t help. It was better to take a different tack. “If you really want to make up for it, then find out everything you can about the Pale Man.”  
  
Ogawa nodded. “I’ll leave no stone unturned.”  
  
“Good.” Genjuro said. “Now get started. I’ve got to figure out how to put some security on the girls without it being too intrusive for their privacy.”  
  
“Yes sir.” Ogawa said, starting to head to the door. Then he paused and turned. “Do you think he might come here?”  
  
Genjuro waved an arm at the security camera he had installed in his office. “If he does, we’ll know about it. And if I have to take him down myself, I will.”  
  


\----

  
[15Z601 Secure Access. Please Enter Authentication: ******* ]  
[Authentication Verified]  
[BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA Clearance Verified]  
[Archival Request Granted]  
[15Z601 Audio Log #54301-D-3253. Date: 06/23/2045 1012 GMT]  
[NOTE: Log Classified BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA. Per Red Unit COMSEC Protocols, TFH-WU Callsigns Are Used For Speakers.]  
  
[15Z601 Link Established. Log Begins.]  
  
**The Lamb:** “Red Unit’s secured the line. Report. Have you received the orders?”  
**WN-1-A:** “Yes sir. Two’s perfectly satisfied, but Four complained that her target isn’t an Oscar.”  
**The Lamb:** “Will it be an issue?”  
**WN-1-A:** “No sir. I think she was just shooting shit, in her own way. My main concern is that Black Unit hasn’t sent us either Two or Four’s gear yet.”  
**The Lamb:** “I checked, it’s in transport at the moment. But they shouldn’t need it for these missions. They’ve received their implants, correct?”  
**WN-1-A:** “Yes sir. Two finished recovery from the surgery on Monday.”  
**The Lamb:** “Then inform them they should consider this their final initiation.”  
**WN-1-A:** “Yes sir.”  
**The Lamb:** “Any questions?”  
**WN-1-A:** “A few.” [Notable Pause Recorded] “We’re going overt soon, aren’t we sir?  
**The Lamb:** “What makes you say that?”  
**WN-1-A:** “Missions like these? SONG will know we’re going to be hunting them regardless of how well it goes off, even if they don’t know precisely who ‘we’ are. Doesn’t make much sense to procrastinate with this cloak-and-dagger bullshit then.”  
**The Lamb:** “You’re a smart woman, Lieutenant. And your right. After these missions, there’s no going back. We’re going overt within the next month. The first White Unit battlegroups have already been placed on standby.”  
**WN-1-A:** “In that case, what’s the status of Project Sabin?”  
**The Lamb:** “Months before they even have the first prototype, I’m afraid. Pale Unit’s struggling with the miniaturization process.”  
**WN-1-A:** “Ah. A pity. It would be useful. We’ll just have to make do.”  
The Lamb: “That’s what is expected of you. Dismissed.”  
  
[15Z601 Link Terminated. Log Ends]

\----

_‘Room 807. All clear, nobody here. Check the cooler for the drop. Kits all here, as briefed. Examine the lane from location. Range, about 3100. Obstructions? Oh yeah, there’s the park and those trees. Then the alleyway. Tough, but doable for someone like me. Just how I like it.’  
  
‘Alright, assembly. Action, barrel, stock… leave the sight off for the moment. Damn, this thing is huge! Sure, the target is tough but to bring something this big? Goddamn. At least I won’t have to worry about lugging it around. Just four rounds? Well, not a surprise there.’_  
  
\--  
  
“Master!” Hibiki announced into the intercom all sing-song. “The formidable duo, Miku and Hibiki, here and ready to go!”  
  
Miku giggled softly as Genjuro replied. “Alright, Tachibana! I’ll be right out!”  
  
And indeed, a few moments later he did emerge from the dojo, all dressed up in his usual red work out clothes. “Alright! Kohinata, are you ready for this?”  
  
“Yes, commander!” Miku replied eagerly.  
  
“Good!” Genjuro stated. “I figured we would start with a warm-up run before moving to the main event. And for relaxation, of course, an action movie! There’s just one problem...”  
  
“What’s that?” Hibiki asked.  
  
“I haven’t decided what movie to watch.” Genjuro turned to Miku. “Since it’s Kohinata’s first time, I figured I’d let her pick.”  
  
“Ah, I have no preference.” Miku waved her hand. She actually didn’t much care for action movies, not that she disliked them either. She had watched some with Hibiki and while some were interesting, most had seemed silly to her. Then again, that was before she regained her Symphogear, so maybe things would be different with that one battle under her belt… well, the one where she wasn’t brainwashed or possessed, that is.  
  
“I know, Master!” Hibiki shot her hand up, as if in class.  
  
“Yes, Tachibana!” Genjuro pointed, as if a teacher calling on a student.  
  
“Since the Shenshoujing’s attacks are based on energy-weapons, how about something with a lot of lasers!”  
  
“A sci-fi action movie, hm?” Genjuro rubbed his chin. “I don’t know how many of those I have.”  
  
As Hibiki and Genjuro debated on which decades old, American sci-fi blockbuster they should watch, Miku instead stepped forward from Hibiki’s side to the left of Genjuro to get a better look through the dojo’s door so she could see what his yard was like. Through the open door, she caught a glimpse of the sides of a dirt path and two buildings. Her eye was quickly drawn to the other end of the path, where spaced several meters apart from each other was a pond and healthy looking tree. And standing between that tree and pond…  
  
Miku’s gut roiled as she saw the Pale Man, standing perfectly still and staring right back. No, not right back. Miku wasn’t sure how she could tell, but she had no doubt that the Pale Man’s gaze was directed slightly to her left. At Genjuro. Miku opened her mouth, about to call out to Hibiki and Genjuro. To alert them to the Pale Man’s presence.  
  
BOOM!  
  
Miku staggered as something seemed to shove into her from the left. She felt something wet and slimy splash all over the same side of her face. Reaching up, she wiped at it and the front of her hand came away practically painted deep red. She turned back to the other two. She only saw Hibiki, except her entire front upper-body covered in red and bits of pink matter Miku was afraid identify. Hibiki’s head was tilted to look down slightly, her face frozen in surprise and shock, her mouth still open in the prior conversation she was having with Genjuro.  
  
Miku looked down. Genjuro lay on the ground. Or, to be more accurate, Genjuro’s torso, legs, and arms all lay on the ground. His head was gone. Blood flowed onto the ground from a stump of a neck.  
  
“... Master?” Hibiki’s voice was barely above a whisper.  
  
\--  
  
_‘Target is down. Mission complete. Time to… are the two Sierra-Golf’s just going to stand there? Oh, they're in shock. Perfect! Act quick enough, I could bag three birds with one stone. Range, 3084…’_  
  
\--  
  
“Hey… master… get-up. This isn’t funny.” Hibiki said, her voice full of raw disbelief. Genjuro lying at her feet? Headless? Dead? Impossible. Master had always been there since the day she became a Symphogear. Supported her. Trained her. Master was strong. Master was invincible. He couldn’t just die. Especially not so suddenly like that. “Please?”  
  
A man in plain clothes came barrelling across the street. Hibiki, her attention locked on Genjuro’s headless body didn’t even seem to notice him. Miku did, though, and she flinched away before realizing that she knew the man’s face. She had seen him around SONGs HQ. Looking around, there were several more men in plain-clothes storming down the street.  
  
The man came to a stop behind to Hibiki, standing between her and the alleyway across the street. “Dammit! What happ-”  
  
With a loud BOOM, everything above the man’s waist exploded in a shower of gore, skin, and bits of bone that splattered in every direction, drenching Hibiki from the back. Distantly, through the ringing in her ears, Miku heard someone screaming. Strange, it sounded like herself.  
  
“FUCK, SNIPER!” Another of the plain-clothes SONG agents shouted, pushing Miku into the arms of another. “GET THEM INSIDE!”  
  
One had already grabbed the seemingly-catatonic Hibiki and was dragging her inside the dojo’s walls, which Genjuro had left ajar. The next instant, there was another BOOM and the forearm of the agent that had just pushed Miku vanished in a cloud of blood. Miku distantly registered the man’s forefinger, detached but intact, striking her chest.  
  
The agents seemed to have figured out the general direction of where the shots were coming from by this point, however, because they swiftly yanked Miku and Hibiki around the corner the moment they were through the dojo door. The last thing Miku remembered seeing was the midsection of the last SONG agent, who had been backing in through the dojo door with his gun drawn and scanning the street, disintegrate under the force of one last small explosion. Then she blacked out.  
  
\--  
  
_‘Hmm... Not fast enough. Have to be faster next time. And better. That third shot was downright sloppy. Close enough with that last shot, even if it was simple gratuity on my part. Pity the Sierra-Golf’s got away. Time to go.’_

\----

**Next Chapter: **Ripples

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before everyone burns me at the stake for getting Genjuro shot (assuming you are still reading and haven't already skipped to typing very angry commentary), let me explain my reasoning. Before writing the story, I typed up some... rather extensive story notes. And since the big OC's here are the villains, a healthy proportion of those notes are devoted to them. Laying out who they are, where they come from, their motivations, their MO, how they fit into the setting, etc. etc. Most of the broad strokes generalities about them are set in stone at this point, but I'm always finagling with the details. Anyways, when I finally stepped back and looked at what I had written, one of the very first observations I made was "oh yeah, one of the first things these guys are gonna do is kill Genjuro and this is how they'd do it". So half the reason this was done is because it makes sense given who the villains are, what they want, the resources they are able and willing to use, etc. etc.
> 
> The other reason Genjuro was shot is because it throws open the door to some interesting plot points, particularly regarding Tsubasa, some of which will start to become apparent in chapter 3, that fit nicely with some of the themes I (hope I am) exploring in this story. Saying more would be spoiling, so I have to ask you to lend me some trust on this. I didn't kill Genjuro just to kill Genjuro.
> 
> And besides, if you think you are angry about Genjuro getting shot, just wait until you see Chris's reaction to the news next chapter!
> 
> Finally, the Pale Man (and yes, that is going to be his name for now) and his deal... well, I can't actually tell you his deal yet, because that wouldn't be any fun, but what I can say is that next chapter we actually get a tiny sliver of insight into his actual character. Because he isn't just presence to spook the adaptors out.


	3. Ripples

Distortions  
Chapter 3:  
Ripples

\----

  
If one was asked to sum up the predominant feeling of the briefing room in SONG Headquarters in as few words as possible, they would be hard-pressed to beat “grim disbelief”.  
  
The moment word had filtered back to SONG HQ about the assassination, the bridge crew had immediately arranged to get Miku and Hibiki back onboard. One helicopter ride later and the two were being cleaned up by Aoi, their blood splattered clothes swapped out for spare SONG uniforms instead. Only by then they had started to come down from their shock. Miku, having been more distant from Genjuro, handled it better but ultimately that was a relative statement. That night, for their protection, they had slept in the HQ’s living quarters. Although “slept” was probably overstating it. It was more like they clung to one another in a desperate attempt to reassure each other that everything was going to be okay. Perhaps they had actually even gotten sleep at some point. What they certainly hadn’t gotten was rest.  
  
Contacting the other adaptors was the second thing the bridge crew had done. Not just to inform them of the assassination, but also to confirm they themselves were not targeted. Each of the five remaining adaptors had actually laughed in nervous disbelief when the phrase “Genjuro is dead” was uttered to them, save for Chris who had instead opted to shout at them for attempting to prank her. The bridge crew didn’t for a moment hold it against them. They could scarcely believe it themselves. But in each and every case, the realization had swiftly set in that no, this had actually happened.  
  
Their responses had all been practically identical: drop everything they were doing at the moment and make a complete beeline for SONG HQ. Tsubasa and Maria had both practically leapt into, and out of, the helicopters sent to pick them up. Kirika and Shirabe had been so impatient that the latter had almost transformed there and then to come on her own power instead of waiting for a vehicle. Chris had actually started running for the ocean, forcing the agents sent to pick her up to find her.  
  
Everyone had the same two questions when they arrived: "where are Hibiki and Miku?" and “Who were the bastards that did it?”, the latter being word-for-word in Chris’s case. The crew eagerly provided the answer to the first question but regretted they could not answer the second. Bitter at the lack of news for someone to go after, the adaptors had instead focused on seeing to their friends. When night fell, they too stayed in the HQ’s living quarters.  
  
With the first, most urgent concern addressed, the bridge crew had immediately moved on to the next, slightly more distant concern: answering the question of “who were the bastards that did it?” Coordinating with the investigative agents in the field as well as national and local police forces, they had expected it to take at least several days before they could identify who did it.  
  
It was something of a surprise even to themselves when it really took just a single night. A sleepless night, but a night nonetheless. By morning, they had enough to tell the adaptors.  
  
Now, the adaptors awaited in a dedicated briefing room. The room was actually rarely used, normally briefings were done standing on the bridge, but everyone was tired enough that it was deemed better that they could sit down.  
  
Hibiki and Miku were still attached to each, although not as closely as they had been during the night. Miku was visibly doing better than Hibiki, the former’s attention heavily focused on supporting the latter who stared blankly at the far wall. Kirika and Shirabe had opted to sit right on either side of Hibiki and Miku, choosing for the moment to prioritize the comfort of their friends over the comfort of being with each other. They were clearly the least affected by the news of Genjuro’s death, though obviously “least affected” was a far cry from “unaffected”.  
  
Tubasa sat only slightly apart from them, her own stare only somewhat less listless then Hibiki’s. She hadn't witnessed Genjuro's death, so the shock wasn't as grave for her. For so long, she thought he was the only family member that cared for her. Even her father Yatsuhiro, the man she actually did think of as her father that is, had only shown his true feelings to her in the final year of his life. By contrast, Genjuro had always been there for her, even before Section 2 was formed.  
  
Maria leaned forward on the couch behind Tsubasa, a comforting hand resting on the bluenette’s shoulder. Maria wanted to hug Tsubasa like she had before their concert and like Miku and Hibiki were doing now, but even in their current state, she was more conscious about the presence of others. Maria also could not help but compare what she was feeling now with what she felt when Dr. Ver had killed Natassja.  
  
Then there was Chris.  
  
Chris left herself a much larger bearth from the others then Tsubasa did, sitting at the part of the elongated “L”-shaped couch where the two halves met. The whirl of the prior day's events and the need to support Hibiki and Miku had left with little time to contemplate over how she really felt about Genjuro's death. But a night of little sleep and a morning that so far consisted of restlessness had left her contemplating it.  
  
The Genjuro in Chris’s mind may not have been exactly family, or at least not biological family, like he was for Tsubasa. He may not have been as close a mentor like he was for Hibiki. But to Chris, “the Old Man” was the man who saved her, physically and spiritually. After she was backstabbed by Finé and left confused by Hibiki's words, Genjuro had come to her and, with nothing but kindness, restored her faith in humanity.  
  
The last time she felt like this was shortly after her parents were killed. Now, Genjuro Kazanari was dead to a sniper's bullet. Miku and Hibiki had almost been killed by the same sniper. For Chris, it felt like the world had suddenly become surreal. There was a large, obnoxious part of her screaming that this was really all a bad dream, that any moment she’d wake up in her bed at home with Genjuro alive and well. But reality continued to defy her expectations by existing.  
  
The door opened. Ogoawa, Tomasoto, Fujitaka, and Elfnein all filtered in. And, physically speaking, as tired as the adaptors looked at the moment, the four bridge crew all looked vastly worse. The black spots under their eyes were not so much bags as they were giant suitcases.  
  
Fujitaka stepped to the side to operate the projector while Ogawa stood at the head of the table. The other two took the remaining spots on the couch. Ogawa did not bother with any preamble or prefacing. “Commander Kazanari was not the only one assassinated yesterday.” Behind him, a picture propped up of a jail cell containing an empty bed with a pillow drenched in blood. “Fudou Kazanari was also found dead in his cell just minutes after the commander was shot. He had been stabbed through the head, precisely between the eyes, apparently while asleep.”  
  
There was a stir in the room at the news, but only in surprise. That itself wasn’t really surprising: the adaptors were only slightly more inclined to mourn the Fudou's passing than they would have mourned Adam's. “It is obvious that the two assassinations are linked. But there is no more information at the moment from the prison.”  
  
Ogawa grimaced to himself, regretting that he wasn’t saying that just because it was technically true. Then he nodded to Fujitaka. The image changed, revealing a trio of police officers and a SONG agent in an office room by an open window. They were examining what seemed to be the biggest sniper rifle the adaptors had ever seen.  
  
“We’ve determined this was the room the sniper who killed the commander used. The office building was largely unoccupied at the time. Several people on the street outside heard the shots and called the police.” Ogawa continued. “The floor the shooter used was owned by the LifeWyze Corporation, a foreign genetics company whose products were approved for use in Japan over the last several months. But according to LifeWyze, it had been leased for the last several weeks to a third-party company who had paid an exorbitant sum for no-questions-asked access. Upon closer inspection, however, the company proved to just be a shell.” He frowned. “We are still pursuing the money trail.”  
  
Ogawa pointed to the rifle. “The gun is a previously-unknown design anti-material rifle… well, really it’s closer to a cannon. Ballistics forensics show it was firing 30mm high explosive rounds of custom manufacture. No reloads were found and the magazine was empty, so presumably the only rounds the shooter had were the ones he fired. And this...”  
  
Two new pictures were up on the screen. The picture on the left was a top-down street, with the office building on the left in a circle labelled “shooter’s location”, a circle drawn in front of another house that everyone recognized as Genjuro’s dojo labelled “victim’s location”, and four lines drawn from four distinct points within the latter back to a single point on the former. The picture on the right was apparently shot from a window, judging by the frame, showing nothing more than the rooftops of another few buildings that terminated in a sea of trees. The adaptors glanced at the second picture in confusion, except for Chris whose jaw practically fell to the floor.  
  
“... is the trajectory of the shots and the shooters field of view.” Ogawa finished.  
  
“That’s _impossible_.” Chris breathed in shock.  
  
“What do you mean, Chris?” Maria asked.  
  
“Well look at the map!” Chris jabbed her finger first at the scale. “First off, the range. That’s just over 3 kilometers! Then there are all the things that obstruct the shooters line of sight or they have to work around.” She traced her finger across one of the lines of the map. “Looking at this, they had to shoot over the roofs of these two shops, through the park, then down this alley between the two homes. That means they had to avoid hitting any of the branches in all these trees or the roof and sides of at least four buildings. All at a range of more than 3 kilometers. I couldn’t make that shot with Red Hot Blaze. Was this some kinda sniping autoscorer or something?”  
  
“I honestly wish it was.” Ogawa replied. “Even accounting for the scope’s targeting assistance and an infrared mode, the precision required to make these shots is indeed practically inhuman. Or it would be, had there been any humans who have not achieved shots of similar difficulty. According to the experts we consulted from the JSDF, there is precisely one person in the world capable of making that shot. And a street camera saw exactly that person in the vicinity of the building earlier that morning.”  
  
The projected image changed to show a Caucasian man’s face in what seemed to be the sort of shot one would see on a school photo. Except the man was wearing a military dress uniform capped with a beret hiding any sign of possible hair. The cocksure grin on his face was slightly at odds with his piercing blue eyes.  
  
“Sargent Kir Cheslav Voronin. Also known among military circles as the ‘Raven of Death’. Widely acknowledged as the world’s most capable sniper.“ Ogawa announced. "Former Russian KSSO. After leaving the spetsnaz, he became a mercenary. The PMC employing him reported that he and his squad vanished in Belgrade a month ago and presumed he was dead."  
  
Chris stared at the picture. Kir Voronin. This was who had killed Genjuro. The man who had saved her, who had reconciled her with her parents, who had helped her seek a new dream, was dead because of this bastard. The same bastard also tried to kill Hibiki and Miku, her two most precious friends, the ones who set her on the path to salvation.  
  
Chris felt something new blossom in her as she stared at that picture, practically burning away the listlessness with which she had taken in much of the briefing. The closest comparison she could make was again back to the deaths of her parent. It was like what she felt when she had found out Sonya had let the package containing the bomb through. But this was much more burning. Much more intense. Much more raw.  
  
_‘Oh…’_ Chris belatedly realized after a few seconds of contemplating the feeling. _‘So this is what pure hatred feels like.’_  
  
“Why?” Everyone started at the sound of Hibiki’s voice. It was almost hoarse. “Why would he kill Master?” Miku’s hug on her tightened.  
  
“We don’t think it was just him. Or even just him and whoever killed Fudou Kazanari.” Ogawa would not give Fudou the respect of either just the last or just the first name, even in death.  
  
“There is no record of Voronin actually leaving Belgrade or entering Japan.” Tomasoto added. “That means he had to have been smuggled in. In addition, the rifle would have had to already be on site, the custom design and manufacture of the rifle and its rounds, the quantity of funds that were deposited to secure this particular office, the lead time with which the office was rented. They all point to one conclusion.”  
  
Tsubasa caught on first. “He’s got an entire organization behind him.”  
  
Ogawa nodded. “A well-resourced organization able to convince Voronin to betray his current employers, something a legal mercenary does not do lightly, and conduct a job as dangerous as assassinating the head of an international agency with the reputation and capabilities of SONG.”  
  
“An organization willing to take on the world.” Maria said quietly, clearly uncomfortable by how familiar this situation sounded.  
  
Tsubasa frowned as she turned over the information in her mind. “Something doesn’t make sense. This was planned and prepared for, yes, but you said Voronin was only spotted a few hours before he killed the commander. He was heading for the location, not camped out there for weeks on end.”  
  
“Yes?” Ogawa added uncomfortably. He had an inkling where Tsubasa was going with this. He didn’t know if he would like it.  
  
“That means that Voronin knew he would have the opportunity to take a shot at Uncle. And given that he fired at them too, Hibiki and Kohinata.” Tsubasa continued. “That means he knew that Tachibana, Kohinata, and the commander would be there that morning. Which means that this organization he works for knew they would be there in the morning. But Tachibana and Kohinata had only made their plans with uncle the day before. There were literally only six other people who knew about this training session, all of them are in this room.” Her voice turned to ice. “And I don’t believe for one moment any of them have betrayed SONG. Not after everything we have gone through in the last two years. So how did these... people,” That line was practically spat out. “Find out about this morning’s training session?”  
  
Dead silence followed that question. After several seconds of contemplation, Tomasoto sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Tsubasa is right. The commander did tell me to clear his schedule for yesterday but he didn’t say what for. I didn’t find out there was training session scheduled until after… it all went down.”  
  
“Maybe one of the lower ranks is a traitor and planted a listening device?” Elfnein speculated. “I mean I don’t like to think in those terms, but an electronic record is the only thing I can think of.”  
  
Ogawa shook his head. “We would have detected an unauthorized transmission signal and the timing is all wrong for a manually retrieved device. The only possible recording device in the office was a security camera and-” He cut himself off, all the color draining from his face in horror. “Oh my god.”  
  
“Ogawa?” Fujitaka asked, voice ladened with concern.  
  
“Fujitaka, Tomosato, Elfnein.” Ogawa’s voice was shooting off rapid fire. “We need to conduct a review of all our digital systems. Everything that could make even the slightest connection to the outside world, everything connected to those, everything connected to _those_… **_everything_**, no matter how indirect.”  
  
Elfnein’s eyes widened in realization, then Fujitaka and Tomasoto as well. Everybody else simply looked around in confusion.  
  
“Erm…” Kirika piped up. “Why?”  
  
“The only way the organization Voronin works for could have known is if they had a copy of the security record from the camera in Genjuro’s room.“ Elfnein was practically breathless. “And the only way to do that would be to get into our security systems. And the only way to do that would be to hack into our systems to such a degree that they could copy and steal practically everything we had on our systems. Every last bit of information.”  
  
“WHAT?!” Chris shouted, finally turning away from glaring daggers at the image of Voronin up on the screen. “Wouldn’t you have caught something like that?”  
  
“Yes!” Elfnein practically shouted back. “But we didn’t! They did it without us ever having a clue! And if they could do it before, they could do it again! We have to go, now!”  
  
With surprising vigor despite her apparent exhaustion, Elfnein leapt out of her seat and sprinted through the door, followed shortly after by Sakuya. Tomasoto began to follow them, but at the door way she paused, turned, reached up, and yanked out the wires of the security camera mounted next to the door. She glanced over at the others. “Better safe than sorry.”  
  
Then she too ran out.  
  
Shirabe groaned, falling back in her chair. “Just one disaster after another.”  
  
“DAMNIT!” Kirika shouted. “It’s not fair! They murdered Genjuro, and they didn’t even give him a chance to fight back.”  
  
“That’s the point.” Tsubasa said in dawning realization. “Everything about this was set-up so that the commander would never have a chance to respond before he died. They knew that if they gave him any chance at all, they would fail. And if Voronin had failed, then he could be gone well before we tracked him down and would never be at risk himself.”  
  
Chris scowled. “Coward.”  
  
“No. Yukine. You don’t get it.” Tsubasa quickly added. “If they were willing to try that with uncle, they would be willing to try that with us.” She looked at Hibiki and Miku. “No, they did try it with us. And they could try it again. They know everything we know right up until yesterday. Maybe even up until the moment Tomasoto pulled the wiring out of that camera. This new enemy… the first sign of attack could be when it hits one of us.”  
  
Chris leaned back, considering Tsubasa’s words. Finally she concluded. “It’s a goddamn nightmare.”  
  
“We have to be always alert.” Maria said.  
  
“Can we do that?” Shirabe asked softly. “To always live in fear. Isn’t that… paranoia?”  
  
“No.” Tubasa said suddenly. “No. Commander Kazanari... Genjuro wouldn’t want that. He wouldn’t want us to live in fear.”  
  
“He wouldn’t.” Ogawa looked around the room. “I’ll have to make arrangements.”  
  
“How could you make any arrangements without them finding out?” Chris demanded. “If they know, they can counter it.”  
  
Ogawa looked over at the defunct camera. “I’ll have to go through some files a bit at home, but the commander once told me back after the Shem-Ha incident while we were out that we should take precautions against just an eventuality. He was thinking of something from the custodians, probably a result of Yggdrasil, but this is close enough.”  
  
“Custodians…” Miku wondered aloud, the phrase clicking something in her memory. Then her eyes widened. With everything that had happened, she had forgotten! “The Pale Man!”  
  
“Who… oh.” Kirika said. “Wow. I can’t believe we forgot about him!”  
  
“Well compared to this, Mr. Pale and Spooky isn’t as important.” Chris observed.  
  
“No, you don’t understand.” Miku said quickly. “He was there!”  
  
“The Pale Man?” Hibiki asked.  
  
“He was watching Commander Kazanari! I saw him just before he was shot.” Miku quickly added. “He was standing in the yard, watching the commander. I was going to point him out when...” She fell silent so suddenly that there was no doubt left precisely what the “when” was.  
  
“Do you think he has something to do with this?” Maria asked.  
  
Chris frowned. An apparently-teleporting stalker starts observing them the Monday before Genjuro is gunned down and just so happens to be there right before the murder. A coincidence? She’d bet against it if the stakes were to shoot herself with a MegaDeth Party.  
  
“AGH!” Hibiki finally growled out. “This is so frustrating!” She glanced up at Ogawa. “Can I go help tear the cables out of the security cameras? I need to break stuff.”  
  
“By all means.” Ogawa replied,.  
  
Miku sighed, but in truth she was glad for the distraction. “I’m going with you. I don’t want you electrocuting yourself.”  
  
“You know…” Maria said. “If we need a distraction, and some destruction, to vent, then I believe the training room still works.”  
  
Hibiki paused and blinked at her. Then she smiled. “Maria, you’re second best.”  
  
“Second best? No way!” Kirika suddenly leapt up. “Maria is the best to me!”  
  
Shirabe turned and fixed Kirika with a jealous glare. Kirika blanched. “Ah… Shirabe! I mean… uh…”  
  
Hibiki laughed. “Now you know why I said second best! Besides, nobody can top Miku!” Miku blushed, as much from Hibiki’s phrasing as from the praise.  
  
“Jeeze! Get a room!” Chris snapped.  
  
Standing at the head of the table, Ogawa smiled for the first time in what felt like forever. After all the horror of the prior day, it was good to see the girls acting something like themselves again. Then the smile vanished as his thoughts returned to Fudou’s death. There was something disturbingly familiar about how he had died.  
  
He’d have to get the complete autopsy report to be sure.

\----

It was an otherwise totally nondescript residential house tucked in a surprisingly upscale neighborhood. One would have to look very closely to spot the hidden cameras. The rain that had started around dawn was coming down hard now, not that the inhabitants of the house were paying much attention to the pitter-patter on the roof. They weren’t the types to enjoy the rain.  
  
The African man sitting in the foyer, positioned so he was just out of sight of anyone standing outside the door, didn’t even look up from the light machine gun he was cleaning at the knock on the door. “What’s the code?”  
  
“Goddamn it, Mwikiza!” A Russian accented voice shot back. “We’re not using passcodes for this. If it weren’t us, Red Unit would have alerted you otherwise the moment we stepped onto the property. You know this.”  
  
“Do not take the Lord’s name in vain.” Mwikiza Gowon sighed, although it was more reflex at this point then anything. He had already figured everyone on this squad was damned already, with himself being the only possible exception, if God willed it. Without even looking up from his gun, he reached over and pulled back on the bolt and chain locks.  
  
The door slammed open and Kir Voronin, dripping wet and scowling, stormed in with water running freely down his shaved head. Behind him followed a wiry Korean woman, her dark grey hair pulled back in a ponytail, who was much more quiet as she entered through the door and snapped her umbrella shut before pushing the door closed.  
  
“Maybe next time, you’ll remember to leave an umbrella at the meet-up.” She said.  
  
Voronin ignored her as he walked off towards the kitchen, muttering. “And I was in such a good mood too.”  
  
“Were either of you followed, Ji-Eun?” Gowon asked as he stood-up, reached over, and redid the locks.  
  
“Of course not.” Jwa Ji-Eun sniffed, slightly insulted by the question even though she knew that Gowon didn’t intend any. “I would not permit it and Voronin, for all his cocksure attitude around here, knows how to do exfiltration.” She glanced around as she removed her _Chilseonggeom_’s sheath from her side. “Where is the Lieutenant?”  
  
“She’s on a call with the Lamb, but she will want a debrief when she’s done.” Gowon said as he sat back down and began reassembling the gun. “You had best wait in the kitchen with Voronin.”  
  
Jwa simply nodded back and headed for the kitchen. Entering, she found Voronin busy drying himself off with a towel. From the living room, immediately adjacent, she could hear the steady clinking and clanking of weights mixing in with the sound of rain on the roof. She could guess who that was. Instead of sitting at the table, she leaned both herself and her sword against one of the more out of the way counters.  
  
“That’s better.” Voronin said loudly, tossing the towel on a rack before sitting down at the table. “Stupid twenty-four hour security period, getting me stuck in the rain.”  
  
At his voice, the sound of weights suddenly stopped. A few moments passed before a tall mass of muscle in the shape of a man entered the room. The man glared down at Kir for a moment before taking a seat one chair over from him. Kir simply returned the stare levelly. The staring contest went on for a few moments before the Indonesian muscle man finally began to speak.  
  
“So.” Timoty Darmawan began steadily. “I take it Genjuro Kazanari is dead?”  
  
“As a doornail.” Voronin gave him a cheeky grin. “Not the toughest shot I’ve ever taken, but it had some challenge in it. Besides, it was fun to get out and shoot something again after all this time.”  
  
Darmawan scowled. “Yes, yes. You blew him away all nice and safe without even the slightest chance of him knowing what was coming.” His voice was laced with sarcasm. “Very impressive.”  
  
Voronin rolled his eyes. “Oh, get off your high horse. You know he would have beaten you to a pulp if we had done it your way.” The sniper pointed at his own head. “Only if one of those Symphogear girls activated would you have stood a chance at winning and even then only if they were kind enough to just stand on the sidelines. Somehow I doubt they would be that useful.”  
  
Darmawan’s scowl deepened. “Kazanari deserved a better death than that.”  
  
Before Voronin could respond to that, a hand clamped down on Timoty’s shoulder from behind. “Oh Timoty dear.” A new voice with a Mediterranean lilt cut in. ”We all know it’s not a question of what he deserved. Just what works!”  
  
“Corporal.” Darmawan acknowledged wearily. “I thought you were downstairs working on some of your bombs.”  
  
Corporal Caprice Calcattera dropped into the seat between him and Kir, her golden eyes sparkling with interest and a dazzling smile on her lips. “I was! But then Mwikiza came down and told me Kir had got back and I was dying to hear some explosive tales.” She laughed lightly. “You know, because he actually got to shoot some explosives? I mean, sure they were small ones, but it’s been so long since I’ve been able to blow something up. Even hearing it second hand would do for now.”  
  
“What is there to tell there?” Voronin shrugged it off. “It killed him. The shot was what I’m interested in, not what I shot him with.” He rubbed at his shoulder. “Although I’d prefer something smaller next time. AMR’s kick like hell.”  
  
“Boo, spoilsport.” Caprice mock pouted at him. “You have no appreciation for the art of explosive detonation.”  
  
“I thought the art was in explosive making?” Jwa asked absently.  
  
Caprice turned and grinned cheekily at her. “Oh that’s fun too! Just not as fun. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a blast working on some of the stuff Pale Unit’s sent us. Especially Project Sabin, those will be AMAZING when they’re finished even if the science isn’t precisely your usual explosive work.” She huffed. “Certainly it’s better than safely dismantling it like they forced me to do in the army. That was bullshit. But what’s the point of building them if you can’t let them go KA-BOOM?”  
  
“So you can have a stockpile for later.” One more voice said in a tone that brooked no argument, with only a slight Texan drawl to give away her nationality. Everyone turned to see the brunette woman standing in the doorway to the hall which led to the stairs.  
  
Instantly, Caprice and Voronin shot to their feet and snapped to attention. Jwa, who was already standing, also straightened herself out and went rigid. Darmawan, his bodyguard background being rather more civilian, took only slightly longer to react than the others.  
  
“At ease.” The Lieutenant said and everyone relaxed back into their seats, except for Jwa who returned to leaning. The Lieutenant’s blue-green eyes flickered first to Jwa then Voronin. “I see you two made it back.”  
  
“Reporting mission complete, ma’am.” Voronin replied.  
  
“Good. Congratulations on your final initiation.” She said. “And some additional good news for both of you: Black Unit finally came through with your equipment. Corporal Calcaterra already put it in the basement armory; I imagine you’ll want to check it after the debrief. You’ll only have a few more weeks for training on it in the sims.”  
  
Caprice’s eyes lit up. “A few weeks. Does that mean what I think it does?”  
  
The Lieutenant nodded. “I just talked to the Lamb. As of now, the White Noise Squad is officially activated. Technically, we're already on standby, but the Lamb informs me it isn't quite time commence operations."  
  
“Yes!” Caprice pumped her arm. “Finally I’ll get to blow stuff up!”  
  
“Just restrain yourself for a few more weeks corporal. Get some sim time if it helps.” The Lieutenant turned to Ji-Eun. “Jwa. Feeling better?”  
  
“Killing a Kazanari was nice.” Jwa admitted. “But an Ogawa would still be better.”  
  
“I know. Don’t worry. You’ll get your chance, the Lamb promised.” The Lieutenant replied. “It’s not like I can’t sympathize. I won’t rest easy until that Kohinata bitch is dead.” She turned and started back towards the stairs, calling over her shoulder. ”You and Sargent Voronin. The full debrief, my room, one mike.”  
  
“Ma’am.” The two acknowledged as the Lieutenant disappeared down the hall.  
  
“Standby, huh.” Caprice leaned back in her chair, kicking up her feet on the table, and grinned. “It’ll be on soon.”  
  
Darmawan just shook his head and silently got up to go back to his weight training.  
  
Outside, the rain continued to fall, but it didn’t seem to touch the lone figure in a business suit standing in the street. Silently, the Pale Man turned from his watch on the house and disappeared into the downpour.

\----

Elfnein blinked at the ceiling in confusion. She didn’t remember there being a ceiling. Last she remembered, she was at her station trawling through their electronic records trying to find the digital fingerprints of the hackers. She had been laying on something soft, her head resting on what felt like a pillow, covered in a blanket.  
  
Sitting up, she saw that she had been laying on a couch in one of the break rooms of the submarine closest to the bridge. A snore to her right caused her to glance over to see Fujitaka occupying the couch across from her, his own blanket draped across him.  
  
Elfnein was able to deduce what had happened. She had probably collapsed from exhaustion and been taken over here to recuperate. What was more of a mystery to her is why Fujitaka was here.  
  
Pushing off the couch, Elfnein made her way back to the bridge. She found Aoi Tomosato sitting at her station, scanning line after line of system code. An empty plate and almost empty coffee cup was shoved to the edge of her console.  
  
Tomasoto’s exhausted gaze swung around towards her and she gave the former homunculus a tired smile. “Oh, Elfnein. You’re awake. There’s dinner at your station.”  
  
Ignoring the growling in her stomach for a moment, a reminder that she had also missed yesterday's lunch, dinner and this mornings breakfast. “Dinner? Was I out that long?”  
  
“Oh, yes.” Tomasoto nodded. “You collapsed… just before mid-day, I believe? Me and Fujitaka agreed then that we should take this in shifts. We won’t work as well if we’re sleep deprived and hungry, after all. I managed to convince Fujitaka to let me take first shift.”  
  
“I… I see.” Elfnein replied, somewhat embarrassed that she hadn’t thought of such a solution herself. “In that case, Tomasoto, maybe you should take your rest now that I’m here.”  
  
“No way.” Tomasoto said quickly. “Two pairs of eyes are better than one and Fujitaka needs more rest.”  
  
“That didn’t stop you from carrying on your own.” Elfnein pointed out. “And as you said, you won’t do as well if you're sleep deprived and hungry. You don’t want to become a liability.”  
  
Tomasoto hesitated, but confronted with her own words she finally sighed and stood-up. “Alright, but I’m going to get Fujitaka up as well. Don’t forget to actually eat your food.”  
  
“I won’t.” Elfnein said. “We’ll have to make this shift set-up a bit more formal for future emergencies so we don’t strip ourselves to the bone.” She glanced over at the bridge, where the commander's chair now sat empty. The question of who would lead SONG now briefly arose in her head, but she shoved it aside as she made her way over to her station. She couldn’t do anything about that and had to focus on what she could deal with.  
  
Taking a seat, she almost disregarded the plate with dinner on it but Tomasoto’s reasoning continued to echo in her mind. With some reluctance she began to eat. Fujitaka walked in a few minutes later, nodding to her in greetings, before returning to his own station.  
  
Putting the plate back where she had found it, Elfnein finally got back to work. The anti-intrusion programs she had left running to check for irregularities had all come back negative, so it looked like it had to be all manual checking. She quickly decided that Aoi and Sakuya had been right. With some food in her belly and sleep behind her, Elfnein found that going through the systems was so much… not easier, but clearer. Things that she had been overlooking all morning now leapt out her.  
  
It didn’t even take another hour.  
  
“I got it!” Elfnein shouted aloud, starting to turn towards the command station out of habit but freezing as she abruptly remembered there was no one there.  
  
“What? Let me see.” Fujitaka said, leaping up and crossing the room quickly to Elfnein’s station.  
  
“Here.” Elfnein said, pointing at a line of code. Fujitaka looked at it and furrowed his eyebrows.  
  
“That looks like a temperature control program for a server, though.” He said.  
  
Elfnein nodded. “Exactly. Which is why we overlooked it at first. I only noticed it when I realized that the server it’s supposed to be monitoring doesn’t actually exist.” She punched a few keys, calling up a more detailed copy of the program code. “Looking at it, it does include everything for such a program. It just also includes back-door access to an outside system.” Now she frowned. "The only thing I can't figure out is how it got there."  
  
“What about the location it’s granting back-door access too?” Fujitaka asked.  
  
Elfnein gave a wry smile at that. “Oh, that should be easy enough now. Let me just run the trace program for a few minutes.”  
  
A few more button presses and Elfnein had SONG’s trace program up and running. And running. And running. And running.  
  
“Wow.” Fujitaka observed after about ten minutes. “That’s… a lot of servers.”  
  
“Way too many.” Elfnein muttered worriedly, as the number of nodes passed the quintuple figure mark. A moment later and the number froze. The program ran for a few seconds more then finally the message popped up: [ 709 ERROR ]  
  
Both Elfnein and Fujitaka simultaneously blinked. Finally Elfnein spoke. “Do we still have the manual for this program? I don’t remember what a 709 Error means.”  
  
“I think I’m going to have to call the programmers we hired to make this tracer.” Sakuya sighed. “At least we can plug the leak now.”

\----

“Hibiki.” Miku asked softly, glancing up from the book she had been trying and failing to read for the past few minutes now. “Are you sure you’re alright now?”  
  
They were back in their room aboard SONG HQ. The adaptors had spent the day in the training simulator, blowing off steam and distracting themselves by killing simulated noise, with the only breaks bring for meals. Miku, with some help from Chris, was starting to think she had a grip on all the nuances of the Shenshoujing by now.  
  
They were still going to school tomorrow, but not the ordinary way. Ogawa had taken Miku, Hibiki, Kirika, and Shirabe aside to a security dead zone part of the sub, informing them that they would be dropped off near the school by car and that a perimeter was being secured. When Hibiki had asked about the funeral, Shinji had sighed and said it was still being arranged. Apparently, the alternate methods he was using to arrange everything was consuming quite some time.  
  
“No.” Hibiki said honestly, sitting up from where she had been just staring up at the ceiling. “I’m still not sure I entirely believe this is real.”  
  
Abandoning her book, Miku immediately crawled the small table and wrapped her arms around Hibiki.  
  
“I keep thinking back to that moment.” Hibiki continued, finally beginning to cry. “I keep wondering that maybe we should have talked inside. Maybe we should have met up somewhere else. Maybe I should have stayed more alert. Maybe if we had done that, he wouldn’t have… died.”  
  
“Don’t blame yourself.” Miku whispered softly in her ear, wiping at Hibiki’s tears. “There was no way we could have known. And you know it’ll be okay in the end. You’ll find Voronin. You’ll find whoever he’s working for. You’ll bring them to justice. And I’ll be right there with you, supporting you all the way. So will everyone else. I’m sure that’s what the commander would have wanted from us.”  
  
“Thanks Miku.” Hibiki smiled tiredly, relaxing into the embrace. “And I guess if Master… isn’t around to help you train any more, outside of our gears that is, I’ll have to do it instead! That’s what he would have expected of me, I know.”  
  
Miku giggled. “I’ll look forward to it, master.”  
  
Hibiki also laughed, albeit somewhat nervously. “Please don’t keep calling me that.”  
  
They lapsed back into a comfortable silence.  
  
“Hey, Miku.” Hibiki said after a few more moments.  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“Tomorrow, when we get home.” Hibiki continued. “Could I listen to you play the piano for a little bit?”  
  
“Of course.” Miku answered unhesitatingly. “I’d love too.”

\----

The wake was ultimately scheduled for Thursday evening, with the funeral proper being the next day. It seemed as if everyone in SONG was there. Even the mass of agents providing security were technically on the guest list and had brought prayer beads. And even a number outside of SONG: Chris was pretty sure some of the suits in the audience were some other government bigwigs.  
  
The week had felt surreal to her because after the chaos of the weekend, the return to normalcy just didn’t seem right. The day to day college classes, hanging out with either Komichi or the other adaptors, or even trying to just unwind at home, Chris couldn’t help but shake the feeling that she should instead be out there. Out there getting revenge for Genjuro. Hunt down Voronin. Make him pay for what he did. And make him reveal who he was working for so she could make them pay too.  
  
It was as if seeing his face and knowing his responsibility for Genjuro’s death had reawakened a part of her she had long thought dead. A part she had thought Genjuro and Hibiki and everyone at Lydian had helped her kill. But it was not only back, it felt even worse: before this week, Chris hadn’t thought she could really feel such raw hate. Not even towards Finé, after she had thrown Chris away, had she felt hate like this.  
  
Other parts of her warred with this. The logical part of Chris pointed out that she didn’t have the first clue of where to start looking for the sniper. The part of her that Genjuro and Hibiki and all her friends had helped nurture and grow reminded her that vengeance was not the solution here. That justice tempered with understanding was what she should be feeling. The ultimate result was a fundamental emotional confusion.  
  
Komichi had noticed. When she asked what was wrong, Chris had simply told her that a dear friend of hers had been murdered. Komichi’s sympathetic reaction had helped just a little.  
  
The only unambiguous positive Chris could credit to the week was that she and all her adaptor friends hadn’t seen the Pale Man at all so far.  
  
As the priest read off the sutras, Chris took a moment to glance at the mostly empty front row, where the family sat, and by extension at Tsubasa. In addition to wondering how the blue-haired idol was coping, she couldn’t help but wonder about the lack of any other relatives sitting up front. Indeed, if not for Maria asking and receiving permission to sit with Tsubasa, she would have been completely alone in the front row.  
  
She turned to glance over at the other four adaptors sitting next to her. And then she froze as a horribly familiar figure on the other side of the room attracted her attention instead.  
  
There, standing between one of the columns and right next to one of the SONG agents pulling security, stood the Pale Man, his attention on Genjuro’s coffin.  
  
Chris felt her blood boil. Her fists clenched. The nerve, to show his face here of all places and at all times. How dare he. **_How dare he_**. She wanted to confront him. To scream at him. To sing her holy chant and reduce him to a smear across the floor with Ichaival. Only the immediate reminder that she was in the dead middle of Genjuro’s funeral held her back.  
  
As if he knew she saw him, his head turned purposefully and slowly so that his sunglass hidden gaze met hers. Chris waited for him to smirk. To gloat. To do something that would send her anger over the edge.  
  
Instead, all he did was nod at her before turning and walking away, vanishing behind the columns.  
  
\--  
  
“The Pale Man.” Was the first thing Chris said when they sat down to eat in the immediate aftermath of the wake. They had managed to convince her to let them at least join the light dinner at the start of the vigil, even if she had forced everyone, save Maria, to agree to return home afterwards. “I saw him. During the wake.”  
  
“What did he do?” Kirika nervously glanced around the dining room, as if expecting him to appear right there and then.  
  
“Nothing.” Chris gripped the chopsticks she was holding so hard that they threatened to snap. “He was just watching. He’s always just watching.” Then she paused. “Well, no. He looked at me and nodded before he left. As if he was just acknowledging that I saw him.”  
  
“Is this like some sort of sick game to him?” Maria scowled.  
  
“Maybe…” Hibiki began but stopped herself.  
  
“Tachibana?” Tsubasa glanced at her curiously.  
  
“We can’t know for sure.” Hibiki said again. “Not unless we can talk to him. But what if he isn’t our enemy? What if he was trying to warn us?”  
  
Chris gaped at her for a moment. “Are you stupid? What kind of warning is just stalking us all spooky like? We know he can talk to people: he talked to Ogawa. If he was trying to warn us, why didn’t he just come out and talk to us?”  
  
“Maybe he’s scared of us?” Shirabe wondered.  
  
Chris turned. “Don’t tell me you believe that?!”  
  
“We’ve discussed this before, gone in circles and come up with nothing.” Maria huffed. “I don’t think speculating any more would be that productive. For all we know, he could have nothing to do with anything.”  
  
“Perhaps we shouldn’t talk about the Pale Man for now.” Miku said. “This is supposed to honor the commander’s memory, so maybe we should talk about him instead?”  
  
“Yeah!” Kirika said. “How about we talk about all the great stuff that he did! Happy memories, you know? Like how he showed us that one movie where that guy had to save the girl from a future robot. Or the sequel, where the future robot had to save their kid from another, even more advanced future robot!”  
  
“That was one of the better ones.” Chris agreed.  
  
“You’re just saying that ‘cause of the minigun scene.” Hibiki teased.  
  
“Well… hell yeah!” Chris said. “Come on, you have to admit it was pretty damn cool!”  
  
“Well I like that song he sang during training!” Hibiki continued on. “It was really good at getting me pumped!”  
  
As the girls reminisced about better times with their commander, Tsubasa remained silent, preferring to simply listen. Maria noticed this and under the table took her hand in her own. Tsubasa returned a small smile in thanks then closed her eyes momentarily to think. _‘Do you hear that Uncle? You’ve helped so many people enjoy life. Thank you for being sure we can be well enough to fight and save others.’_

\----

Tsubasa knew that being in the same room as the coffin for the vigil wasn’t strictly necessary. She could have slept in the room set aside nearby. But her sense of duty and her history with her uncle refused to permit her to do otherwise. She would have held the vigil for her father the same way, and she would do no different for Genjuro.  
  
Maria stayed with her for as long as she could remain awake, but it was close to the witching hour when she had fallen asleep, slumping over onto Tsubasa’s shoulder. Only then did Tsubasa abandon her vigil, albeit only temporarily. She carried Maria to bed and tucked her into one of the provided futons. Returning to where the coffin was being held just behind the parlor, she closed the sliding door behind her and turned around.  
  
The Pale Man stood immediately on the other side of the coffin, staring directly at her.  
  
Tsubasa froze for a moment at the unexpected sight. Then she fell into an immediate fighting stance, one hand flying up to Ame No Habakiri. But she hesitated, Hibiki’s words at dinner returning to her. He was here, closer than any of them had ever seen them. Close enough to hold a normal conversation. Yet still all he was doing was standing there, looking at her.  
  
Tsubasa took the opportunity to examine his appearance more thoroughly. The obvious still stood out: sunglasses, the business suit without a tie and with a white undercoat, the paleness. But at this close distance she noticed some more subtle things. The unnatural paleness meant she could actually faintly see some of his major arteries. His lips were tiny, such that they barely existed at all. His hair was dark grey and probably would be disheveled if it had been grown out instead of a crew cut. And his skin was sunken and gaunt in a way that, if not for how he carries himself and his modest build, would have left Tsubasa thinking he was on death’s door.  
  
Finally she asked. “Who are you?”  
  
The Pale Man simply shrugged. Or at least that’s what she thinks it was. One of his shoulders raised in a shrug-like manner, but his head didn’t move at all. Tsubasa eyebrows furrowed as she tried to figure out the exact meaning of the gesture. So was he saying he didn’t know? Or was he saying it didn’t matter?  
  
“Why have you been following us?”  
  
To that he didn’t respond at all.  
  
She tried one more time. “Why are you here?”  
  
That triggered the most substantive reaction yet. Abruptly, without his eyes ever leaving her the Pale Man reached up with his right hand and into the left breast of his jacket, clearly reaching for something. Tsubasa tensed further, her holy chant on the tip of her tongue.  
  
The Pale Man pulled out a black-and-silver envelope and then held it out with both of his hands, as if giving her a business card.  
  
Hesitantly Tsubasa let go of Ame No Habakiri and took the envelope. An inspection showed nothing written on the envelope. With a quick glance at the Pale Man, who had returned to his perfectly still watchfulness, she opened the envelope to find it stuffed full of yen as well as a single slip of paper. Another quick confused glance at the Pale Man to confirm he was still there, then Tsubasa removed the slip. The message on it looked like hand typed English.  
  
_Genjuro Kazanari achieved great things._  
  
“What is-” Tsubasa should really have not been surprised when she looked up only to find the Pale Man was gone. Should not have, but was anyways. She did a quick 360-degree inspection to assure herself that, no, he had not just moved to another part of the room and was really gone before returning to the contents of the letter. Idly she took a moment to count the money.  
  
She blinked, then recounted just to be sure.  
  
The amount of yen came out to exactly 40,000.

\----

Shinji Ogawa stared apprehensively at his phone. Less because of the call he was about to make, but because the information he had to relay. It had taken until Tuesday for the UN to inform him that they had agreed he was acting commander for the moment, confirming de-jure what was de-facto for several days by then. There was something of a political competition as to who would permanently replace Genjuro. Apparently each country on the security council was fighting to get their own preferred candidate appointed. Probably so they could have more influence over SONG. Shinji had resolved not to worry about it for now.  
  
Tsubasa had informed him that the Pale Man had appeared the night before, totally making a mockery of their security measures, again. And left that cryptic as all hell message plus the yen. Tsubasa had said she didn’t know whether to keep it or throw it in a fire.  
  
And as if to top everything off, he finally had received the full autopsy report on Fudou’s death just before he left for the funeral, to say farewell to his old friend one last time. The read had only confirmed his suspicions enough that Shinji knew he had to make this call. Out of respect for his friend and his family. The phone rang, once, twice...  
  
“Hello.” The voice of Souji Ogawa asked.  
  
“_Nii-san_.” He said. “It’s Shinji.”  
  
“Shinji.” Shinji’s elder brother and head of the Ogawa clan replied. “I heard about Commander Kazanari. My deepest condolences. I know how close you two were.”  
  
“Thank you.” Shinji replied. “But this is not about him. It’s about Fudou Kazanari.”  
  
“Yes. I heard about his death too.”  
  
“It’s obvious the two murders are linked.” Shinji continued. “They were both assassinated by an organization I believe is hunting SONG.”  
  
“I deduced as much.” Souji said. “But you know the clan’s rules. Unless the circumstances are extreme, you have to handle this on your own.”  
  
“Normally, I would agree with you.” Shinji kept his voice even. “However, I have substantial reason to believe that this concerns the clan as well.”  
  
“How so?” Souji asked quickly.  
  
“I believe that Fudou was assassinated by one of the Jwa family.”  
  
There were a few moments of silence before Souji spoke up again. “Are you sure?”  
  
“I acquired the autopsy report this morning.” Shinji relayed. “Analysis of the blade used matches the _Yonggwangchamsageum_ precisely.”  
  
It wasn’t often that Shinji heard his elder brother surprised into silence, but then he supposed the past week had been full of unusual events.  
  
“We haven’t heard from them in a decade.” Souji pointed out.  
  
“But we know they are still out there. Several family members are known to work for Korean intelligence and the military.” Shinji replied. “And they only have ever used the _Yonggwanggeum_ when they intend to come after us.”  
  
“I see.” Souji relented. “I’ll have to talk with some of the clan elders.”  
  
“Thank you, Nii-san.” Shinji finished.  
  
“Stay safe, Shinji.” Was Souji’s final words before he hung up.  
  
Shinji sighed and put away his phone and turned to head back inside. Nodding to the agent guarding the door, he stepped into the waiting room where family members waited while their loved ones were cremated. Tsubasa sat alone, quietly reading a newspaper. The other adaptors had been there for the funeral, but the cremation was for family only. The only reason Shinji had been able to stay was because of his status as acting-commander and Tsubasa’s manager.  
  
“Are you feeling alright, Tsubasa-san?” Ogawa asked as he came over.  
  
“Mostly.” Tsubasa sighed. “I think I finally came to terms with it at dinner last night.” She looked up. “He may be gone, but his memory lives on. All that’s left is to bring Voronin and his group to justice. And the Pale Man, whatever his deal is.” She turned to him. “Any news on that front?”  
  
“Sadly no.” Ogawa said with a sigh, taking the seat next to him. “The money trail has hit a dead-end. We tracked it through a number of dummy accounts and then to an elderly lady in Argentina. She’s in a retirement home and has been diagnosed with dementia for over a year. She isn’t even personally wealthy enough to have afforded the rent on that office floor.”  
  
“And the trace on the backdoor Elfnein found?” Tsubasa asked.  
  
“We ran it several more times.” Ogawa replied. “Same problem each time. The coders we had hired to create the program said the error message means the trace was terminated from the outside by some kind of counter-tracer program.”  
  
“So the trail’s cold then.” Tsubasa concluded. “Until Voronin’s group strikes again.”  
  
“Or we get lucky. Which could happen.” Ogawa sighed. “And I’m afraid I have more bad news.”  
  
Tsubasa head tilted turned curiously at that.  
  
“I may have to stop being your manager.” Ogawa elaborated. “At least until the Security Council figures out who is going to lead SONG. The workload might become too much.”  
  
“Oh.” Tsubasa had honestly expected much worse at the words ‘bad news’. “Do you have anyone in mind?”  
  
“We’re going through some possible candidates, but the UN bureaucracy being what it is-”  
  
“Sir.” A new voice cut in. Ogawa looked up to see the plain clothes agent leaning back through the door. “I have a Handa Kohaku here. He says he’s a lawyer for the Kazanari family.”  
  
“Have you checked him?” Tsubasa asked.  
  
The agent nodded, “He’s clean.”  
  
“Let him in.” Shinji said.  
  
The agent stood aside and Handa Kohaku stepped in. Had either Ogawa or Tsubasa seen him on the street, they would have had him pegged for a professional lawyer in an instant. The slick dark hair, suit-and-tie, briefcase… they all screamed “legal profession”.  
  
“Tsubasa Kazanari?” He asked as he approached. Tsubasa nodded and Handa looked over at Shinji. “And...?”  
  
“Shinji Ogawa.” Ogawa replied. “Tsubasa Kazanari’s manager. At least currently.”  
  
“I see.” Handa said. “Then there should be no problem in you hearing this.”  
  
Placing his briefcase on the floor, he took a seat immediately across from Tsubasa then folded his hands. “First, I must apologize. There was a foul-up in our messaging system and I did not receive the word that both Fudou and Genjuro Kazanari had passed until yesterday. I would have certainly contacted you earlier had I known. In both cases, I wish to extend my condolences.”  
  
Internally, Ogawa shifted uncomfortably. That probably was more his fault than anything else, trying to keep Genjuro’s death quiet until he could arrange the funeral had likely held up some of the legal paperwork. Tsubasa, for her part, simply nodded. “That is quite alright Kohaku. Forgive my bluntness, but I would like to know what you have to discuss with me?”  
  
“Of course.” Handa nodded. “I was hired by Fudou Kazanari as the chief lawyer for the family’s estate and duly was appointed the executor of the familial household will. Now, his access was frozen with his arrest, so custody on decisions passed to Genjuro Kazanari. I have thus had…” He paused. “The pleasure of working with both men. However, Genjuro Kazanari decided against making any significant changes to the will. Now that both men have... passed away, that means the household estate has passed to you, Tsubasa Kazanari.”  
  
Tsubasa’s mouth fell open in surprise. Through dealing with all the chaos and emotions in the wake of Genjuro’s passing, the fact she was still the Kazanari heiress had completely slipped her mind.  
  
“I…” She started, then fell silent as the weight of the implications of what she had just acquired came crashing down on her. The Kazanari estate was enormously wealthy and powerful, which was why Fudo was able to get away with so much of what he did. Now it was hers?  
  
She couldn’t handle this right now.  
  
Fortunately, Ogawa was swift on the uptake. “Unfortunately, I believe Tsubasa is rather exhausted dealing with her uncle’s passing. Perhaps we can arrange a meeting for another time?”  
  
Fortunately Handa nodded. “I understand.” He reached into his breast jacket and retrieved a business card. “Nonetheless, I have to advise we go through the details as soon as we can. There are legal issues, as well as inheritance taxes, we have to deal with. When you’re ready, you can contact me at this number.”  
  
Her mind dizzy, Tsubasa absently accepted the proffered card. “Thank you, I will.”  
  
Adaptor, idol, now business-political mega-conglomerate leader. Despite everything she had gone through, a part of her couldn’t help but feel that she didn’t deserve it. Another part of her wanted to get started immediately.

\----

“Bikky, Hina!” The familiar voice of Yumi Itaba shouted.  
  
The two so-nicknamed turned to see Yumi, Shiori, and Kuriyo approaching, the former at a sprint while the latter two approached at a more leisurely pace.  
  
“Yumi!” Hibiki greeted back. “Good morning!”  
  
“Good morning!” Yumi replied enthusiastically. Then, as the group fell into step together, she continued. “Hey, guess what.”  
  
“What?” Hibiki asked.  
  
Yumi looked indignant. “You’re supposed to guess!”  
  
“She managed to convince her parents to order a NERV Gear.” Shiori rolled her eyes.  
  
“Shiori!” Yumi pouted. “They were supposed to guess!”  
  
“I’m not going to let them suffer through guessing on whatever new trinket has caught your interest.” The blonde sniffed. “Not to mention it isn’t all that great news.”  
  
“Besides, shouldn’t you be more focused on studies?” Miku asked. “The term finals are coming up next week, you know?” Next to her, Hibiki grimaced.  
  
“Oh, it's on extended delivery.” Yumi said. “So it won’t get here until after they’re over! And I’ll have all next term to see whether that entire ‘help you study’ thing is legit or not.”  
  
“You okay, Hina?” Kuriyo decided to change the subject. “I notice you seem a little stiff?”  
  
Miku smiled slightly. So Kuriyo noticed that, huh? “Hibiki taught me some exercises that she’s been doing all these years during the weekend.” She admitted. “I’m a little sore from the work-out.”  
  
“That means it worked.” Kuriyo laughed. “Just don’t let Bikky overstress you ‘till you get used to it.”  
  
Hibiki gave her a playful shove. “Jeeze, Kuriyo! Have a little more faith in me.”  
  
Miku instead simply smiled. “Oh, I know she would never do that.”  
  
“Oh, Hina!” Shiori jumped in. “I just remembered: someone stopped me on the way to meet up with Yumi and Kuriyo. He asked if I knew you and wanted me to pass on a message.”  
  
“Eh?” Miku asked. “What was it?”  
  
“Let’s see…” Shiori pressed a finger to her chin in thought. “It was... ‘You should have foreseen consequences’, I think?”  
  
“What the heck?” Yumi laughed. “That sounds like something a character in an anime would say!” She paused thoughtfully. “Or maybe a video game?”  
  
Neither Hibiki or Miku were laughing though. Instead they exchanged a concerned look. Finally Hibiki said. “Anything else?”  
  
“No.” Shiori frowned. “Although, now that I think of it, that isn’t a very polite thing to say. Why didn’t I realize that earlier?”  
  
“This man.” Miku said quickly. “What did he look like?”  
  
Shiori’s brow furrowed in confusion, he frown deepening. “It’s strange. I… actually can’t quite recall much. He seemed a little sick, I think, based on how pale he was.”  
  
“Shiori.” Hibiki’s voice had gone dead serious. “If you see this man again, you need to avoid him and tell us immediately.”  
  
Shiori blinked. “Huh?”  
  
“Bikky?” Kuriyo asked, surprised at the serious turn from someone normally so happy go-lucky. “Is he dangerous?”  
  
“We don’t know.” Miku added. “But he’s been seen following people from work around. We don’t know whether he’s friendly or hostile, but it is better not to take chances.”  
  
“Excuse me.” A completely new voice cut in, their Japanese tinged with a heavy accent that marked some unfamiliarity. The group turned to take in the new girl, about two years younger than them, who had approached them. Her light skin tone and eye structure marked her as foreign, either European or American, yet she wore a Lydian first year’s uniform. Long blonde hair cascaded down her back and there was nervousness in her blue-green eyes and posture, with both of her hands clasped in front of her. She was looking at Miku. “Are you Miku Kohinata?”  
  
“Yes?” Miku replied. “Can I help you?”  
  
The girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, the nervousness was gone. In its place was determination… and hate. Then she lunged at Miku, the separation of her hands revealing a switch knife whose blade flicked out. “DIE, SYMPHOBITCH!”  
  
Hibiki moved almost instinctively. In one fluid motion she stepped between Miku and the younger girl, caught the girl by the knife arm, curled inside, and flipped her around before the lunging girl could even process what was happening. She cried out in pain and surprise, the knife slipping from her hands, as Hibiki threw her down and locked her into a solid submission hold.  
  
“LET ME GO!” The girl was now shouting in english, thrashing futilely in Hibiki’s grip. “YOU FUCKING… DAMN IT! LET ME GO! LET ME KILL HER! I GOTTA KILL HER! PAPA, PAPA!”  
  
“Hina!” Yumi shouted, “Are you okay?!”  
  
“Y-yes.” Miku said, clutching her hands to her chest in surprise. A number of passerby, whom Miku quickly realized were plain-clothed SONG agents, had started to storm up towards them the moment the girl had revealed the knife, while others, probably just regular civilians, had turned and were watching the commotion in confusion.  
  
“Tachibana.” One of the plain clothes agents said as he came up. “We’ll take her from here.”  
  
Hibiki nodded to him but didn’t let go until the agent had slapped cuffs on the girl and had his own solid grip on her. At that point, she immediately turned to attend to Miku. Another agent had pulled out his communicator with HQ and was busy reporting about the failed attack on the adaptor’s life.  
  
All the while, the girl shouted, raved, and cried, alternating between either cursing at Miku, Hibiki, and the agents or screaming incoherently for her father.  
  
The agent with the communicator turned, “We have some cars on the way pick-up. Girls, you should all come to HQ with us.”  
  
“Us too?!” Kuriyo exclaimed. The agent simply nodded in reply.  
  
“But our classes-” Miku began.  
  
“Your teachers will be informed.” The agent reassured her as a trio of black cars with tinted windows appeared around the corner and pulled up along the roadside. The agents handling the girl, whose own shouting was finally beginning to taper off from exhaustion, were already hauling her over towards the rearmost vehicle. She resisted them long enough to deliver one last withering glare at Miku before finally being forced into the back seat.

\----

**Next Chapter: **Storm Clouds

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These cliffhangers man. What is this, Symphogear G?
> 
> For those who might not understand the significance of the “40,000 yen figure”, a quick note on Japanese funeral rites: if wikipedia isn’t lying to me, guests to a funeral are supposed to bring an envelope containing a certain amount of money to help assist in paying for the whole thing. Quantities are supposed to be between 3,000 and 30,000 yen depending on wealth and relationship to the deceased. Additionally, a video I watched on the subject claimed that guests generally bring an odd number so as to avoid multiples of the number of 4, due to its Japanese cultural associations with death.
> 
> I leave it up to you to guess as to the significance of the Pale Man flaunting these rules in multiple different ways, particularly when combined with the message he left.


	4. Storm Clouds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning, there is a homophobic slur in this chapter.

Distortions  
Chapter 4:  
Storm Clouds

\----

[15Z601 Secure Access. Please Enter Authentication: ******* ]  
[Authentication Verified]  
[BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA Clearance Verified]  
[Archival Request Granted]  
[15Z601 Audio Log #54781-K-3256. Date: 07/03/2045 0218 GMT]  
[NOTE: Log Classified BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA. Per Red Unit COMSEC Protocols, TFH-WU Callsigns Are Used For Speakers.]

[15Z601 Link Established. Log Begins.]

**The Lamb:** “Red Unit’s secured the line. Professor-108, what’s the status of Project Sabin?”  
**P108: **“Developing as expected.”  
**The Lamb:** “So the schedule remains the same?”  
**P108: **“Yes.”  
**The Lamb: **“Alright, how about Project 54R301?”  
**P108: **“More significant problems. Engineering difficulty working out specific parts. Current rate; unacceptable delays.”  
**The Lamb: **“Do you have a solution?”  
**P108: **“Autoscorers.”  
[Significant Pause Recorded]  
**The Lamb: **“You are joking?”  
**P108:** “No. Equivalent autoscorer parts high technological. Tangential development from alchemical advances. No philosophical conflict.”  
**The Lamb:** “Ah, I see what you mean now. But don’t you already have the blueprints for them? Not to mention the ones for those cyborgs?”  
**P108: **“Samples permit finer measurement. Moves project timeframe to acceptable boundaries. Cyborg samples better, regretfully unavailable.”  
**The Lamb: **“Well, there’s only one place we can acquire autoscorer parts in quantity. Though acquisition would be.... noticeable. You are aware this means moving other schedules up?”  
**P108: **“Risk acceptable.”  
**The Lamb: **“I suppose so.”  
[Significant Pause Recorded]  
**The Lamb: **“One last thing. Whisky-November-1 contacted me. She wants to know if you had anything to do with Emily.”  
**P108: **“No.”  
**The Lamb: **“Are you lying to me?”  
**P108:** “No.”  
[Significant Pause Recorded]  
**The Lamb: **“Very well. I’ll have Red Unit begin moving the assets and drawing up a plan.”

[15Z601 Link Terminated. Log Ends]

\----

“Her name is Emily Acampora.” Fujitaka began, staring at the left screen on the main monitor showing the blonde girl in her cell, curled into a fetal position in the far corner. The right screen was showing an image of the smiling teenage girl in modestly casual clothes, obviously taken for some form of identification.** **  
** **

For the second time in as many weeks, the adaptors had found themselves having to drop everything at the news an attempt had been made on one of their lives. The horrifying thought of this becoming a trend had already occurred to them but there was nothing to be done for that. At least this time nobody was hurt.. This did not ease Tsubasa’s nerves one bit, however. She rushed into SONG headquarters with the same urgency as she had after Genjuro’s death, and then started hovering around Miku and Hibiki like a mother hen. Ogawa would have to do something about the surviving Kazanari’s mental state.** **  
** **

The commander’s chair was still empty. Ogawa couldn’t bring himself to sit in it yet, instead opting to simply stand next to it as he listened Sakuya reel off what information they had to the girls.** **  
** **

Sakuya continued. “She’s an American from San Diego. Age fifteen. Daughter of Alexander and Savannah Acompora. Her father was in the US Navy, but is listed as killed in action since a year and a half ago. Her mother is an assistant surgeon. Emily was reported missing three days ago. Based on her passport, she flew in yesterday.”** **  
** **

“How did she get a Lydian uniform if she’s from America?” Kirika asked.** **  
** **

“Best we can tell, she stole it.” Fujitaka replied. “Probably so it would be less suspicious when she approached Kohinata.” As it was, the plain clothes agents they had following the girls to school wouldn’t have thought to suspect a fifteen year old.** **  
** **

“I never met her before.” Miku’s voice was heavily distressed. “Why would she want to kill me?” Next to her, Hibiki gave her hand a comforting squeeze.** **  
** **

“We’re not sure.” Ogawa sighed. “The attack was clearly planned in advance, and she had access to information she shouldn’t have known.”** **  
** **

“She knew Hina was a Symphogear.” Kuriyo observed. The three friends of Miku and Hibiki had found themselves signing another round of NDAs after arriving but adding another secret onto the pile of secrets they were keeping was hardly much of an issue for anyone.** **  
** **

“The Pale Man.” Tsubasa said suddenly. She looked over at Shiori. “You said the Pale Man gave you that message for Kohinata.”** **  
** **

Shiori shifted uncomfortably under the idol’s judging gaze. “I think? I mean, he seemed kind of pale when he talked to me but I can’t really remember what he looked like or whether he’s as pale as you have described.”** **  
** **

“Neither could I.” Ogawa’s voice was sympathetic. “Only the girls ever really seem to properly see and remember him.”** **  
** **

“Was it a warning?” Hibiki wondered. “Or a threat?”** **  
** **

“I’m not having another argument about whether he’s an enemy or not.” Chris growled. She jabbed a thumb at the girl on the screen. “Not to mention it doesn’t answer the question of _ why _ . Why don’t you just ask _ her _ how she knew and why she did it?” ** **  
** **

“We did.” Tomosato said. She pressed a button and a new window popped up showing Emily sitting across from a uniformed SONG agent.** **  
** **

_ “Emily, please. We don’t want to hurt you. Why did you do it?” _ He asked in English, an autotranslation program making sure everybody understood what was being said. ** **  
** **

_ “I’m not going to talk to you.“ _ Her voice was tired and flat. _ “I’ll only talk to the adaptors. Alone.” _ ** **  
** **

Tomosato stopped closed the screen. “That’s all she ever says. Variations on it, anyways.”** **  
** **

“She can’t be serious.” Yumi growled. “She tries to kill Hina and _ then _ wants to talk only after Bikky beat her up?” ** **  
** **

Shirabe nodded in agreement, glaring at Emily’s image. “Suspicious.”** **  
** **

“Suspicious or not.” Maria spoke up. “I say we go in and talk with her.”** **  
** **

Chris boggled at the redhead. “Are you out of your mind?”** **  
** **

“No.” Maria retorted. Then, she began ticking the reasons off on her fingers. “One, she’s in cuffs and totally disarmed. Two, we’re on a submarine full of SONG agents, so it’s not like she’ll do anything crazy. And three, there’s seven of us and only one of her. Even if we weren’t adaptors, I’m sure we could all overpower a single, unarmed teenage girl in handcuffs.”** **  
** **

Chris opened her mouth to reply then snapped it shut when she found she couldn’t muster up any objections to that.** **  
** **

“I suppose that makes it fist one, reason one then.” Kirika muttered.

\--

Emily gradually lifted her head at the sound of the cell door opening.Her eyes were red. She hoped her guests couldn’t tell she had been crying. As they filtered in, she took in the adaptors with a largely listless gaze but the moment Miku stepped through the door her stare hardened into one of baleful hate.** **  
** **

The door closed behind them, but it did not lock. Maria stood next to it, ready to try and intercept Emily if she made a break for it. Kirika, Shirabe, Chris, and Tsubasa formed a semi-circle between Miku and Emily, with Chris and Tsubasa forming the front, while Hibiki remained a comforting presence directly beside her girlfriend. Emily didn’t seem to notice, simply glancing between them for several seconds but everybody could see the way her eyes hardened whenever they found their way to Miku.** **  
** **

“So…” She finally said, the word being translated over the speakers a moment after she said it. She paused and glanced up for a moment at that, then apparently decided to ignore it. “You came.”** **  
** **

“Why did you try to kill Miku?” Hibiki immediately demanded, her words being translated back.** **  
** **

Emily didn’t answer immediately. Instead she leaned her head back and shut her eyes, suddenly seeming so very tired. Finally, she asked. “Did they tell you how my father died?”** **  
** **

Chris angrily opened her mouth to demand what that had to do with anything but Maria quickly preempted her. “Only that he was killed in action.”** **  
** **

Emily‘s head jerked back down, a little surprised. “Is that all?” The bitterness in her voice was overwhelming. “They didn’t even have the gumption to lie to you then. They told me the Noise killed him. You know, during the Frontier Incident. They listed all the casualties in that as from the Noise.” She scowled. “Fucking liars.”** **  
** **

Well, that was plausible. Not to mention, the timeline fit with what the briefing said. But Maria was beginning to suspect another possibility. An awful, terrible possibility she wish she had realized earlier.** **  
** **

Unfortunately, she couldn’t figure out how to phrase the next question before Kirika spoke up. “What does that have to do with Miku?”** **  
** **

Emily scowled, her voice rising in anger. “You honestly haven’t figured it out already? YOU MORONS!” She jerked her head at Miku. “She killed him! Vaporized him with that fucking gear of hers, along with most everyone else inside the ship! All those people! And for what?! Some fucking _ dyke crush _ ?” ** **  
** **

Miku flinched back in shock at the accusation but Hibiki scowled. “It’s not Miku’s fault! Doctor Ver brainwashed her.”** **  
** **

“Bullshit!” Emily snapped back. “She agreed to trust the Doctor, even though he was one of the people holding her in a fucking cage! She agreed to wear the gear in the first place! It’s her fucking fault.“** **  
** **

“She was trying to save Hibiki!” Kirika jumped in.** **  
** **

“Oh don’t ** _you _ ** try and defend her!” Emily practically screamed. “You're almost as responsible as _ she _ is for those deaths. After all, who was the one who decided to stick with the Doctor even after it became obvious how psychotic he was?! All because you were afraid of nobody remembering you? Even your girlfriend knew better than that!” Her voice lowered into a hiss. “She’s too good for you.” ** **  
** **

Kirika reeled back as if slapped. Angered, Shirabe tried to move forward, but Tsubasa’s arm shot out and stymied her path. For her part, Maria’s eyes narrowed. She’d have to speak with Kirika later. And Shirabe too.** **  
** **

“And besides!” Emily’s glare snapped back to Hibiki. “Why was papa’s life worth less than hers?! Because she’s a Symphogear? Because she was in love with her? Does that mean the rest of our lives are mean nothing? All those people… my father… did their lives mean nothing to you?!?” She yanked at her handcuffs, as if were an angry dog barely held back by a leash. “_ Fuck you _ !” ** **  
** **

“Even so!” Hibiki angrily retorted. “None of that makes hurting Miku right! We’re sorry about your father, and if we could change his fate we would. But hurting others won’t bring him back! How is it supposed to help?”** **  
** **

“Besides,” Chris bit out. “How do you know it _ wasn’t _ the Noise, huh? You weren’t there! How do you know about all this at all?!” ** **  
** **

Emily had been clearly building herself for a retort at Hibiki but when Chris asked that last question, all emotions seemed to drain out of her. She seemed to deflate and her angry glare turned into a vacant stare.** **  
** **

“They showed me.” Emily said but this time it didn’t sound like she was talking to anyone.** **  
** **

Maria’s eyes narrowed, already suspecting who ‘they’ were. “Who?”** **  
** **

“They showed me.” Emily simply repeated. “They showed me the record. The record from _ Sefer HaChaim _ . It saw everything. It heard everything. It felt everything.” Her eyes teared up but the vacant stare remained. “Even Papa… Papa’s last moments.” ** **  
** **

Suddenly she tried to stand up. Everyone tensed but it took quite a bit for the blonde girl to stagger to her feet. She shambled forward until she was but a few steps away from both Chris and Tsubasa then stopped just when the two were just about ready to subdue her.** **  
** **

“But they also showed me...” Some emotions started creeping back into Emily. Her mouth turned in a twisted, gleeful smile. Her voice took on a sense of giddiness. “They also showed me what is coming. _ They _ are coming. And Auntie… Auntie is with them. She _ is _ one of them now. They will do what I cannot. You will all die.” ** **  
** **

Tsubasa opened her mouth to demand who ‘they’ were, but the question died on her mouth as she noticed that something was wrong. “Look out, the cuffs are-”** **  
** **

Tearing out of her handcuffs, Emily tried to charge straight past Tsubasa and Chris towards Miku. But Tsubasa was already moving and Chris was just an instant behind. The blonde hadn’t even taken one step before the two pounced on her and in another moment Emily was back on the ground, laying face down and pinned, with a small knife clattering to the floor beside her. Unlike the first time with Hibiki, this time Emily didn’t continue to struggle at all, instead she just went limp on the floor.** **  
** **

The door slammed open and the SONG agents who had been standing just outside in case of trouble rushed in, followed by Ogawa. The agents quickly took over from Tsubasa and Chris, slapping a fresh pair of handcuffs on Emily and taking time to double check them before hauling her to her feet. Again, Emily didn’t resist. Indeed, she didn’t seem to be responding to anything. Her face had gone completely blank, her eyes half-lidded, and her head lolled about as gravity willed it. If not for the gentle rise and fall of her chest, they would have all thought she was dead.** **  
** **

“What the hell?!” Chris shouted angrily. “How did she get out of those cuffs? And where did she get that knife?”** **  
** **

“I would like to know that myself.” Ogawa said, reaching down to pick up the discarded cuffs. Her inspected them briefly. “Someone loosened them from the outside. And recently, too.”** **  
** **

“How recently?” Maria asked.** **  
** **

“No more than 30 minutes ago.” Ogawa answered.** **  
** **

“Four Horsemen.” Emily suddenly said. Everyone turned to look at her at the sudden exclamation. “Four Horsemen.” She repeated, then fell silent again. The agents holding her glanced at Ogawa, who simply nodded, and they dragged her off.** **  
** **

“Miku?” Hibiki asked her girlfriend, who was staring at the door where the agents had dragged Emily off. “Are you okay?”** **  
** **

Miku blinked at the question then looked over at Hibiki and gave her a reassuring smile. But there was clear uncertainty in it and she didn’t actually respond.** **  
** **

“H-hey.” Chris jumped in, trying to comfort her. “Don’t tell me you believe her crap? There’s no way she could have known like she claimed she did! I bet the Noise got him like everyone else and she’s just taking it out on us.”** **  
** **

Miku bit her lip and cast her eyes down. “If you say so.”** **  
** **

Hibiki simply hugged her.** **  
** **

“Kohinata.” Maria said suddenly. Miku looked questioningly at her. “If you ever need to talk… my door is always open.”** **  
** **

“Thank you.” Miku replied. “I may… take you up on that sometime.”

\-----

In light of the days events, Miku and Hibiki were permitted an excused absence from school. To ensure their safety, a SONG car drove them home. Hibiki noticed how quiet and pensive Miku was being but every time she broached the topic Miku would just brush it off with an “I’m fine”.** **  
** **

Miku wasn’t sure whether Emily was telling the truth or Chris was right and she was lying. Or at least, that was what she was telling herself at the moment. How could Emily have known, really? On the other hand, she couldn’t conceive of someone being angry enough to try and kill her unless they knew for sure.** **  
** **

Perhaps, Miku told herself, Emily simply believed it to be the truth that much?** **  
** **

It was as Hibiki inserted the key into their apartments front door that a familiar voice called out to them. “Tachibana, Kohinata?” They turned to see their landlord, a genial old man, approaching them. “I’m so sorry to trouble you two but there’s been some trouble with the last two months’ rent payment. Could I talk to one of you about it?”** **  
** **

“Oh. Ummm…” Hibiki began, looking over at Miku.** **  
** **

Miku smiled softly and placed a comforting hand on Hibiki’s arm. “I’m fine, Hibiki, go ahead. I’ll try and figure out what we’ll do for lunch.”** **  
** **

Hibiki hesitated for a moment, then nodded and stepped aside to let Miku by as she began talking with the landlord. “So what is the problem?”** **  
** **

As she shut the door behind her, Miku gave a soft sigh. What were they going to do for lunch? Normally she’d never pass up the opportunity to cook for Hibiki, or vice-versa, but she felt as if it her heart wasn’t in it. As she crossed the living room, she pondered the question. But what did that leave? Well, they still had the bentos they had made. But perhaps it was better to preserve that for tomorrow.** **  
** **

Stepping into the kitchen, Miku stopped in front of the refrigerator to inspect it’s contents. She took mental note of several things they were low on to write down later, Hibiki did love her rice, and weighed their options. But despite her best efforts to distract herself, she kept finding her mind slipping back to Emily and her accusations.** **  
** **

With a sigh, she shut the refrigerator door without selecting anything. Yes, she definitely didn’t feel like cooking this time. So takeout or bento it was. Instant food wasn’t an option, that was a rule she held to fastidiously, for Hibiki’s health as much as her own. Miku turned around.** **  
** **

And found the Pale Man standing in the kitchen just several meters from her.** **  
** **

Miku froze in surprise at the apparition’s sudden appearance. He was here. In her home. In the apartment she and Hibiki had picked out together. Possibly the very place she hoped they would live together for the rest of their lives.** **  
** **

The shock was so much that Miku found herself paralyzed by indecision. She didn’t know whether she should try to communicate with him, call out for Hibiki, or transform with the Shenshoujing. She was suddenly painfully aware of the fact that she had only just started training outside of her gear with Hibiki the weekend before. And in those moments of indecision, the Pale Man made the first move. Whatever Miku thought she expected him to do, she certainly did not expect him to reach into his jacket, pull out a photograph, and present it to her as if it was a business card.** **  
** **

Well… how else was she supposed to respond to that? Hesitantly, Miku reached out and accepted the proffered photograph.** **  
** **

There were four people, two women, a girl, and a man, in the photograph, all dressed in casual clothes in front of a house. Miku’s attention was immediately drawn to the girl and not just because she was at the center of the photo. Even several years younger and with her hair about half as long, there was no real way of mistaking Emily after the encounter Miku had with her earlier today. Even if she almost looked like a completely different person with the brilliant smile and laugh on her face.** **  
** **

The man on Emily’s right was down on her knees and had her wrapped up in a bear hug. The woman next to him simply had a hand on the man’s shoulder and was staring fondly down at the two. It was easy to tell by the familial resemblance they were Emily’s parents. The woman on Emily’s left on the other hand certainly seemed more distantly related given the brunette hair color. She still had both Emily’s and the man’s blue-green eyes though. She appeared to be in the process of ruffling Emily’s hair.** **  
** **

Miku’s attention drifted down to a scrawl on the bottom right corner. She wasn’t the most fluent in English, but she could still make out what it said.** **  
** **

_ Me, mama, papa, & auntie together 4ever _ ** **  
** **

Miku felt her breath hitch and _ he shifted his rifle to a more comfortable firing position, trying to ignore the fear that ran down his spine. For the past dozen or so minutes, he could hear screams and gunfire as his crewmates tried their best to fight the Noise outside. Now, the noise was starting to quiet down. He didn’t know whether that meant the Noise were dead or everyone else was. He and the other men in the room weren’t about to stick their heads out and check. _ ** **  
** **

_ Even though he knew bullets wouldn’t affect the Noise, the gun provided him with a sort of comfort he wasn’t willing to give up. It also didn’t make much sense to keep it trained on the doorway when the Noise could phase through the walls to get at him, but training had a way of ingraining certain habits. Same reason he had turned over a table for cover. _ ** **  
** **

_ On his left, Frank suddenly cocked his head and frowned. Frank had generally had a great sense of hearing, which was surprisingly useful when it came to determining what was broken in the machinery. Frank glanced over at him. “Hey Alex, do y-” _ ** **  
** **

_ The high-pitched noise of the purple beam that bore through the wall to their left drowned out everything as assuredly as it consumed everything. It enveloped the whole room in it’s glow, obliterating it. And in the split second before his consciousness was burned away, his last thoughts were of Emily. _ ** **  
** **

Miku came back to herself still staring at the photograph. Except instead of it being in her hands, it was on the floor and instead of standing up, she was on her knees. Small water stains already were collecting on its surface.** **  
** **

That was… that was real. That had actually happened. Miku knew that as assuredly as she knew that her own eyes were green. That was what actually happened. Emily was right. Miku _ had _ killed those people. People with families and friends and loved ones who would never see them again. All because of her own selfish desires. She was a _ murderer _ . Worse, she realized as she contemplated the thought further, that same selfishness had almost ended the world, almost ruined everything Hibiki had fought for. How could she be so arrogant as to think she could fight alongside Hibiki, who put her own heart and soul into saving others, with what she had done? ** **  
** **

The tears that came next were practically a flood.** **  
** **

“Miku, I’m back!” Hibiki called as she entered the apartment. “Turns out there was just some confusion on the bank’s end ov-“ Hibiki froze as she entered the kitchen and saw Miku, alone, sunk down on her knees, and bawling her eyes out. The dirty-blonde’s eyes widened in alarm. ”Miku?!”** **  
** **

In a flash, Hibiki was down next to Miku and embracing her. “Miku! It’s fine, totally fine.”** **  
** **

“N-no Hibiki. It’s not fine!” Miku sobbed, simultaneously craving and despising the contact. “Emily’s right! I killed them! I _ murdered _ them! I’m a terrible person! I don’t deserve the Shensoujing! I don’t deserve yo-” ** **  
** **

“DON’T SAY THAT!” Hibiki shouted in alarm, making Miku flinch in her arms. Hibiki squeezed Miku to her tighter, speaking more softly now. “You can’t know that! Emily wasn’t-”** **  
** **

“I saw it!” Miku interrupted, an unsteady hand pointing at the photo on the floor, covered in her tears. “When I looked at the photograph, I saw her father’s last moments. I _ felt _ his last moments! It was just as she said!” ** **  
** **

“Even so,” Hibiki said softly. “So what if you messed up in the past? That doesn’t make you a bad person. You regret it and if you could do it again, I know you wouldn’t do ** _that_ ** . You’re Miku Kohinata, my sunshine, and you wield the Shenshoujing by my side! Nothing will ever change that.” ** **  
** **

“B-but-” Miku hiccuped. She heard Hibiki’s words but her thoughts kept contrasting them with what she had felt from the end of that… that record. Of a father’s love for his daughter. Of his hopes and dreams for her. Of his fear for her future when he was gone. And how it was because of Miku that he was gone. How could Hibiki forgive her for that? “H-how could you just accept-”** **  
** **

Words weren’t reaching her. Hibiki could tell that. So she went with her gut instinct and kissed Miku.** **  
** **

It wasn’t their first kiss. That had come after their initial confession. It wasn’t even their second kiss or third one, though those instances had been relatively more chaste. As had their fourth even if Chris, who had been a witness, disagreed that it was “chaste”.** **  
** **

But this kiss was different. The first had been a confirmation of the feelings they had confessed and the understanding they had reached. The others had largely been small, quick events to tease each other… or Chris, as the case may be.** **  
** **

But with this kiss now Hibiki was communicating in a way that her words could not. And when she and Miku broke the kiss a few seconds later, gazing into each others eyes, Hibiki knew she had succeeded.** **  
** **

Sniffling, Miku finally leaned into the embrace now, bringing her own arms up to return it.** **  
** **

“Hibiki?” Miku asked, her voice still trembling slightly from crying.** **  
** **

“Hm?” Hibiki replied, stroking Miku’s hair soothingly.** **  
** **

“Stay with me.”** **  
** **

Hibiki softly whispered. “Always.”** **  
** **

Right then and there, Miku knew without a doubt that Hibiki, at least, thought Miku did deserve her. Hibiki thought Miku was a good person. Hibiki forgave her.** **  
** **

If only Miku could find a way to forgive herself.

\----

“Frankly, sir, we have no idea how her cuffs were loosened or how that knife got in there.” Fujitaka said. “Emily’s refused to say anything. In fact, she’s stopped doing… anything. She’s lapsed into some kind of comatose state. We had to feed her lunch through a tube to keep her alive. And the security footage shows there was simply nobody else in the room prior to the girls.”** **  
** **

Ogawa sighed. “Then it’s a lost cause. Let’s focus on what we _ did _ learn from that interrogation. First, the Four Horsemen.” ** **  
** **

“Well that’s obvious enough.” Elfnein said, taking a moment to blow on the cup of coffee she was drinking. “The Book of Revelations, verse six. The first four of the seven seals of the apocalypse. Four riders on horses colored white, red, black, and pale.” Then she frowned. “The problem is that there is no basis for them in any alchemical records or custodian records as being related, at least not that we’ve found. What information we have suggests they were no more than allegories for the evils of the Roman Empire, not anything related to Alchemy or the Custodians.”** **  
** **

“We do have a _ Pale _ Man stalking the adaptors.” Tomosato pointed out. ** **  
** **

“That is so.” Elfnein conceded. “And our records are extremely far from complete. But I think that is more a coincidence. More than likely, “Four Horsemen” is an adopted moniker.”** **  
** **

“A moniker.” Ogawa muttered, putting the pieces together. “The group behind Voronin then?”** **  
** **

“That seems most likely.“ Elfnein nodded. “Emily mentioned her aunt was one of them.”** **  
** **

“And we know who she is.” Fujitaka said, bringing up an image on the main monitor of a severe looking brunette in dress uniform. “Lieutenant Samantha Acampora, United States Army. Younger sister of Alexander Acampora, Emily’s father. Nine years of service, Medal of Honor recipient, and survivor of _ two _ Noise attacks. There are claims she even managed to destroy some in the second instance. Rumor has it, she was the top name on the US list for their candidates to lead SONG.” Fujitaka sighed. “However, she vanished with her company three months ago. It was among the first of the UN peacekeeping units to disappear. She’s been listed as missing in action.” ** **  
** **

“Were they vanishings?” Ogawa wasn’t prone to voicing his thoughts aloud, but it was something he had seen Genjuro do enough. “Or were they defections?”** **  
** **

Fujitaka blinked and turned at that. “That… seems like a rather extraordinary proposition. We’re talking several thousand soldiers from across dozens of different nations. Even the JSDF lost some personnel to those events.”** **  
** **

“As extraordinary as one of America’s top war heroes defecting?” Tomosato pointed out. “As extraordinary as an aunt sending her niece on what is effectively a suicide mission?”** **  
** **

“Well, there is no evidence yet one way or the other.” Ogawa said, although his tone made it clear he didn’t think that would last. He looked at Elfnein. “What about the other thing Emily mentioned. _ Sefer HaChaim _ , I believe?” ** **  
** **

“_ Sefer Hachaim _ .” Elfnein repeated. _ “ _ The Book of Life. In Biblical mythology, it is the book in which God writes the names of all those that he judges to be righteous. There is nothing of it in the Alchemical records, but the Custodian records we have do make a singular reference to it.” She projected up onto the screen a selection of glyphs, highlighting one particular group. “Here. This group of glyphs mention the Book of Life and say it is related to Balal, but the problem is they don’t say how or what it does.” ** **  
** **

“The Curse of Balal?” Fujitaka groaned. “Really? I thought we were done with that thing.”** **  
** **

Tomosato’s brow creased in thought. “Emily said she was shown a record from it. That combined with the Biblical legend would imply that _ Sefer Hachaim _ is some kind of… monitoring or recording system left by the Custodians.” ** **  
** **

“Linking such a system to the Curse of Balal would make sense.” Elfnein agreed. “But it would have been destroyed when the curse was broken. So how could there be any records from it left?”** **  
** **

“And how would the Four Horsemen have access to it?” Ogawa chuckled. “Every answered question just raises new questions, huh.” Well, that was a problem he was familiar with.** **  
** **

“There is…” Elfnein paused, hesitating. “There is one more thing.” On the main monitor, she brought up the floorplan of the HQ and highlighted the cell Emily had been interrogated in. “I ran a scan of the cell blocks following the interrogation and I found… this.” She threw up a graph of wavy lines that didn’t make much sense to Ogawa. At his confused look, she explained. “It’s faint, but there is definitely some kind of… signature there. Some sort of energy was used. It seems… familiar somehow. I’d like permission to look into it further.”** **  
** **

Ogawa scratched his head nervously. They only had so much personnel, so much funds, so much spare processing power in their mainframes. They were expending tons of resources as it is trying to find out more about the Four Horsemen and the Pale Man, keeping the adaptors from suffering Genjuro’s fate, and ensuring the systems in SONG Headquarters weren’t compromised again. As much as Ogawa hated to admit it, they were being stretched thin. Could they really afford to stretch themselves even further chasing what might well be a sensor’s ghost?** **  
** **

“At this moment, we don’t have the manpower.” Ogawa finally decided. “We need to concentrate our efforts on finding out more about the Pale Man and the Four Horsemen. We don’t have the resources to go chasing after this right now. I’m sorry.”** **  
** **

He hoped made the right decision.

\----

“Thank you for coming, Kazanari.” Handa Kohaku said, all business. Tsubasa absently wondered if he had a setting other than ‘all business’. “I know your schedule must be extremely busy.”** **  
** **

“I know this simply could not wait.” Tsubasa replied, her tone equally formal. “And I wish to thank you, Kohaku, for bringing it to my attention.”** **  
** **

“I was simply doing my job.” Handa’s attention was on his computer now, pulling up the relevant files. “Is your manager not joining us?”** **  
** **

“Ogawa has picked up a second job recently that has kept him extremely busy.” Tsubasa answered. “He may in fact have to retire from the position.”** **  
** **

“I understand.” Kohaku said simply. “I believe I have everything here. So, let’s begin…”** **  
** **

In the course of the several hour meeting, Tsubasa realized very rapidly one thing: it was too much. Not for her to handle, that is. Certainly, the Kazanari Foundation was enormous but between herself and the assortment of functionaries that now worked for her - and wasn’t that a heady thought! - actually running it was something she could handle.** **  
** **

Rather, Tsubasa realized that the Foundation was too much power. She had understood well enough that the Foundation wielded a lot of political and economic influence but until now, going over the investments in detail, she hadn’t realized precisely how much. Her Grandfather essentially had the entire political-economic structure of Japan in the palm of his hand. Even the inroads made recently by new foreign companies marketing new technological breakthroughs since her grandfathers arrest had only lessened the hold, not broken it.** **  
** **

It was simply too dangerous, Tsubasa decided. She had to get rid of it. Not all of it, it was still her family's heritage, but enough of it to break the monopoly.** **  
** **

It was while running down a list of properties under the direct or indirect ownership of the foundation, trying to decide which ones to sell, which to outright donate, and which to keep, that Tsubasa came across a familiar name.** **  
** **

“The Château de Tiffauges?” She looked up questioningly. “I thought the property was turned over to the UN?”** **  
** **

“Not quite.” Kohaku replied. “Legally speaking, the property remains under the ownership of the Kazanari Foundation. Rather, an agreement was reached to rent out control of the property to the UN for a minimal fee. I believe some researchers contracted by SONG work there now and security is handled by the JSDF.”** **  
** **

“I see.” So now she was a rentier to the UN in addition to working for them? The irony almost made her laugh out loud. Still, wouldn’t that be some sort of conflict of interest? “Could you arrange a meeting with the relevant representative? I would like to completely transfer this property to them.”** **  
** **

“Are you sure, Kazanari?” Kohaku raised an eyebrow. “Your grandfather fought quite hard for that property.”** **  
** **

_ ‘Yeah, so he could use it to further his own delusions of grandeur.’ _ Tsubasa thought. Out loud, she said. “I feel that it is much more suitable that the UN be given control over the site. They’re the ones in charge of SONG, after all, and SONG are the experts on such location.” ** **  
** **

“I see.” Kohaku nodded. “I’ll see what can be arranged.”** **  
** **

Internally, Tsubasa sighed with relief. Finally, she’d be done with the Château for good.** **  
** **

\----** **  
** **

[15Z601 Alert - Operation Orders Received]  
[Challenge: GOLF-FIVE-ROMEO-TANGO-ZULU-MIKE]  
[Response: ECHO-FOUR-OSCAR-BRAVO-INDIA-VICTOR]  
[Authentication Verified - TACCOM Protocols Engaged]

White Noise Support: Authorized  
Air Support: Authorized  
Armored Support: Denied  
Indirect Fire Support: Restricted  
Long-Range Support: Restricted  
PFW Support: Denied  
Sabin Deployment: Unavailable

[Primary Objective Set]  
Secure/Hold Objective Designated CHARLIE-DELTA-TANGO  
Secure/Hold/Egress All Objectives Designated ALPHA-SIERRA-PAPA  
Secure/Hold Perimeter Around Primary Objectives

[Secondary Objective Set]  
Upon Egress, Liquidate Objective CHARLIE-DELTA-TANGO

[Nonessential Objective Set]  
Upon Ingress Verification, Liquidate All Objectives Designated HVT-SIERRA-1 Through 7

[Commencing Combat Operations]

** **

\----

**Next Chapter:** The White Horse** **

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will admit, when I first wrote the synopsis of putting Miku through the emotional wringer in my notes that I did this chapter, I felt like a piece of shit. But when I was actually writing the scene out, I didn’t feel quite as bad oddly enough.


	5. The White Horse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The alternative name for the chapter: “Introducing The New Mooks”.

Distortions  
Chapter 5:  
The White Horse

\----

“_-__and the fluffy kitten played with the ball of string all through the night. Our top story in international news, the territorial negotiations between the foreign ministry and the People's Republic of China are reported to be entering their final stages, with both sides close-” _

“Hey corporal.”

Corporal Motoyuki glanced over at his guest as he dropped onto the chair next to the JSDF soldier. “Doctor Yamada. Shift over for the day?”

“Yeah.” The SONG researcher sighed. “Not a whole lot of progress though. We haven’t been making much of that for the past few weeks.”

“Why not?” The corporal asked. Officially, it wasn’t a question he was supposed to ask. The SONG researchers were here to investigate and help safely disassemble the Château, the JSDF was here just to provide security. But after several months, most of the personnel had developed enough of a rapport that certain issues could be unofficially shared between them. Yamada and Motoyuki was one such set of acquaintances.

Besides, it’s not like there were going to be anyone listening in on them this deep in the Château De Tiffauges. The devastation of the immediate surroundings provided a strong degree of isolation for the staff. So long as you didn’t discuss things about the Château outside of the Château, nobody really cared.

Yamada had once laughingly called the unofficial policy “what happens in the Château, stays in the Château.” Motoyuki didn’t get it.

“Resource diversions.” Yamada replied. “Apparently there was a security breach and they’ve had to divert processing power to plug holes. It’s really slowed down research. Someone from the UN was here earlier to explain that.“

“Oh. I thought I saw an unfamiliar person in a business suit around here.” Motoyuki noted. “Was that him?”

“No tie? Sunglasses?” Yamada said, then when Motoyuki nodded he continued. “Yeah. That was him. Hope he gets some rest when he goes home. That skin tone did not look healthy.”

“Hmm.” Motoyuki acknowledged, their conversation lapsing as they returned their attention to the news.

_ “-ration announced the completion of a series of upgrades to their defense network. The upgrades were originally scheduled to be completed in April, but due to revisions to the original project introduced by-” _

A sudden, distant burst of gunfire cut through the drone of the newscaster like a bull going through a China shop. Both Yamada’s and Motoyuki’s heads jerked around at the unexpected sound. The first burst of gunfire was quickly followed by more, a lot more, rising into a positive din of combat.

“Are we under attack?” Yamada quickly asked.

“Impossible.” Motoyuki said, although the fact he drew his sidearm was rather contradictory to his words. “The perimeter sensors would have set the alarms off well before any attackers could breach the Château.” The magazine he loaded into his pistol continued to be at odds with what he was saying. He wished his rifle wasn’t in the armory.

The gunfire was getting closer and was joined by the first crumps of distant explosions. Still, the alarms remained strangely silent. Motoyuki could hear indistinct shouting as several people ran past the door to the hastily constructed staff lounge they were occupying. “Stay here Doctor, I’m going to check it out.”

Yamada gulped and slid down the chair so it was between him and the door. Motoyuki had only made it halfway across the room when the power went out.

“Corporal?” Yamada called.

Motoyuki had stopped, trying to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. At Yamada’s voice though, he began to turn back towards the TV and chairs.

Then the lounge door exploded inwards. Motoyuki spun back, raising his pistol before a three round burst ripped across his chest and dropped him like a stone. At the explosion, Doctor Yamada had dropped down to the floor with a surprised yelp. His heart raced in his chest as he heard Motoyuki’s body hit the ground, followed by the thumps of what must have been at least a dozen pairs of boots enter and spread across the room.

He looked up to find a pair of blue, dully glowing circles looking right back down at him. The minute source of light combined with his eyes adjusted to the darkness let him make out the face and outline of a soldier in full battle gear carrying an assault rifle. Or he would have been able to make out the face, if it wasn’t hidden behind a gas mask modified to be integrated with the pair of goggles.

Yamada raised his hands in surrender.

In return, the soldier raised his rifle and put three rounds into the doctor's head.

Outside, on a distant skyscraper’s rooftop, a lone, pale figure idly listened to the distant sound of high flying aircraft and watched the barely visible darkened outlines of a host of parachutes descend upon the Château through the night sky.

\----

“Ah!” Kirika’s head shot up from the school book she had been reading. “I can’t believe I forgot!”

“Eh?” Chris glanced over from where she was assisting Shirabe, who for her part didn’t even look up and simply raised an inquisitive eyebrow as the only sign she had heard. “Forgot something?”

“Hibiki managed to punch out all sorts of crazy things in the intervening time since I first took the score!” Kirika proclaimed, as if this was some sort of deeply urgent revelation. “So Fist still has the lead over Reason by a whole lot!”

Shirabe simply nodded for a moment as if that made perfect sense before returning her attention to her studies. But Chris, for her part, was extremely unimpressed with this information. “Is that _ really _the sort of thing you should be worried about right now?”

“Uh.” Kirika glanced from an apathetic Shirabe to an unimpressed senpai. “Probably not...?”

“Honestly.” Chris sighed. “I agreed to let you guys over to help you _ study _, not to listen to every single inane thing that pops into your mind.”

“Well, then!” Kirika jabbed an impatient finger at a line in her textbook. “Do you think you can explain to me differentiation formulas?”

“Again?” Chris asked, although her scowl was done more to hide the smile she wanted to make. As she came over and began to walk Kirika through the basics of calculus, the thought of Voronin crossed her mind unbidden. And although she didn’t let it show, just the thought of the bastard was enough to evaporate her good mood for a while.

There had still been no sign of the Four Horsemen for the remainder of the week, or the Pale Man for that matter, if the two were really unrelated. Emily was still stuck in a comatose state at SONG headquarters, although for some reason Maria had gone to see her once. The burning hatred Chris had felt when she first learned of the man was smoldering for the moment but it was still there. And when the thought of him crossed her mind, so too did the urge to go out there and try to find him.

About a half-hour passed when Chris’s phone started to ring. A glance at the caller ID was enough to bring the good mood right back. She glanced over at Kirika, who finally seemed to be working at it on her own. “I have to take this.”

Having entered what she called “the study zone”, Kirika simply nodded in response without looking away from her paper. Rolling her eyes fondly, Chris got up and picked up the phone. “_ Moshi-moshi _.”

“Chris!” Just the voice of Komichi Ayano was enough to return Chris to the good spirits that an entire evening with her two kouhais had taken to build. “How are you?”

“Komichi.” Chris greeted levelly, then cast a quick glance back at Shirabe and Kirika to see if they heard. She thought she might have caught Shirabe’s at the end of returning her attention to her book, but it was always tough to tell with that one. “I’m good. How about you? What’s up?”

“Oh, you know. Bored. Bored enough that I figured I’d call you up and see if you wanted to, I don’t know, see a movie or go to the mall or something this weekend?”

Chris took a few moments to process what precisely Komichi was asking. Was she… asking Chris on a date? Chris felt a slight blush start to creep across her face. The two had gone places, yeah, but those had always been after class meetings, first spontaneous then routine. Besides Tsubasa’s and Maria’s concert, they hadn’t ever planned something in advance before. And even the concert was really at the behest of others.

Unfortunately, Komichi seemed to take those moments as something else. “I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to! I just, thought, you know, it’d be nice, since I had your number and all.” The enthusiasm in her voice fell with every sentence. “But I guess you don’t-”

Chris decided to interrupt with a definite answer. “Sure.”

“-want to… wait, really?”

“Well…” Again, Chris glanced over her shoulder. This time, she was _ almost _ certain that Shirabe was listening in. “I can’t _ this _ weekend. I promised to help some second-year friends from Lydian study for the weekend, so they’re staying over. You remember, the two from the concert? But I don’t have any plans at all for the next weekend. Plus, college terms will be over as well!” She paused as a question occurred to her. “You _ are _ studying for those, right?”

The sudden “urk” from the other side told Chris everything she needed to know. She sighed. Back when they were at Lydian, it had always been a coin flip whether Ayano remembered to study for tests or not. When she did, she actually did quite well. It was when she forgot that she struggled.

“Well, consider this your official reminder then!” Chris continued. “At least you got it an entire weekend and half a school week ahead of time, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Ayano sounded relieved. “Thanks Chris. Guess I should consider next weekend a reward then.”

Chris blushed, not sure how to take the idea of ‘being a reward’. “‘Suppose so. A-anyway, we can hammer out the details when we see each other in class, right?”

“Sure! It’s a date!”

_ Now _Chris really lit up. “D-don’t jump to conclusions so swiftly!”

“Ah, sorry!” Ayano said quickly, although her voice didn’t really sound sorry. It rarely did, when it came to Chris.

It had been a while, so Chris again quickly checked over her shoulder. This time, she outright met the gazes of both Kirika and Shirabe, who went rigid. Her eyes narrowed into a threatening glare and the two hastily turned their attention back to their book. She better cut this short if they were both now paying attention to her. “Sorry, Komichi. I gotta cut this short. Looks like the juniors are getting distracted.”

“Oh!” Ayano said in realization, then her voice really did take on an apologetic air. “Sorry, I didn’t think I’d become a distraction.”

“When did I say that?” Chris demanded. “Really now, see ya next week.”

“Sure. See you.”

Hanging up, Chris turned to see Shirabe and Kirika exchanging knowing grin. As usual, Kirika’s was big and wide while Shirabe was much more restrained. Chris glanced between the two before quickly snapping. “What’s so funny?!”

The grins vanished as the two quickly returned to their books.

“Honestly.” Chris said, rubbing her temples. Then her phone rang. Not the phone she was still holding in her hand but the emergency one that connected directly to SONG. So too did the ones belonging too Kirika and Shirabe.

Chris suddenly had the feeling that it was going to be a long night.

\----

“At around 7:30 PM, all contact was suddenly lost with both the research and security teams at the Château De Tiffauges.” Ogawa was all business right now, as the adaptors stood on the bridge. “At 8:00 PM, a JSDF recon team was dispatched to re-establish direct contact after remote efforts had repeatedly failed.”

An image appeared on the main screen of the recon team… or what remained of it. Four burnt-out humvees sat on a dirt road, bullet ridden corpses of JSDF soldiers strewn around them. After another moment, an additional image appeared, a far shot of the Château from a skyscraper rooftop. The most obvious addition immediately drew everyone's eyes: a pair of large aircraft with four tilt-wing jets parked in the crater, a large number of tiny figures apparently moving about around them.

“As you can see, two large VTOLs of unidentified design have landed at the Château.” Ogawa glanced around. “They failed to appear on either JSDF or Tokyo air traffic control radar, which suggests stealth capability. We believe that the Château have been seized by members of the Four Horsemen.”

Chris’s eyes snapped away from the screen to Ogawa. “Does that mean Voronin’s with them?”

Ogawa eyed Chris for a moment, not expecting questions until near the end. “There have not yet been any sightings of him but the possibility is there. The JSDF has already evacuated the immediate surrounding area, secured a perimeter, and are mobilizing to retake the Château. However, due to the fact the group has seized a stronghold of heretical technology that is itself a relic, the Japanese Government has asked SONG for assistance.”

A third image appeared, a top-down map of the entire devastated region surrounding the Château, about 5 kilometers across.

“Attempts at low-altitude air reconnaissance were aborted when they reported lock attempts by the enemy, presumably handheld SAMs, but high altitude passes and observation from surrounding rooftops have identified anti-tank missile launchers at these locations.” As Ogawa spoke, dozens of triangles appeared in a circle following the lip of the Château’s crater walls. “They are your primary objective. You’ll deploy by helicopter to the southern part of Yoyogi Park, where you will then have to approach the Château by land.”

“Eh?” Kirika asked. “Why not chopper us all the way in?”

“Our helicopters don’t have the altitude to fly over handheld SAMs.” Tomasoto explained.

Ogawa nodded. “Once you have destroyed the AT launchers, report what you can see of the Château and we’ll decide how to proceed from there. Are there any questions?”

“Enemy defenses and force strength?” Tsubasa asked.

“Largely unknown, but we presume at least a few thousand.” Ogawa replied. “Best we can tell from the recon, it’s practically all infantry. We haven’t seen any indication of Alca-Noise deployers, but given the history of these sorts of groups we can expect them to show up. As for the soldiers, they seem to have dug slit trenches across the area, although many of them are too well-camouflaged for us to spot. Based on the recon team, they’ll start shooting at you once you enter the cleared zone around the Château.”

“Why don’t we just bomb these guys out?” Chris asked. “This is the fourth time we’ve had to go back there and I’m kinda getting sick of it.”

Elfnein fielded that one. “The Château has a lot of still poorly understood heretical technology that heavily interact with each other. Their sudden destruction could cause a chain reaction that annihilates the entire Tokyo region. That’s why demolition has been so slow.”

“One thing I don’t understand.” Maria added. “Those VTOL designs don’t look very stealthy. Tilt-wings just aren’t built for that under normal circumstances.” She should know, she had to fly one before and the only way they could stealth it was with the Shenshoujing.

Ogawa nodded in agreement. “Frankly, the experts we talked too are baffled as well. Absent the Shenshoujing, the only way they can think of to hide such aircraft would be to construct it entirely out of radar absorbent material, but it’s impossible to do that with certain parts of the aircraft, like the jet turbines. Hopefully, their capture will yield some answers.”

“Well, we know it’s not the Shenshoujing.” Hibiki smiled at Miku, who returned it with some slight nervousness. It was her first battle since Shem-Ha and her first real mission, so she was feeling the jitters. Tsubasa noted the exchange and made a quiet decision to talk to the two on the helicopter.

“Any more questions?” Ogawa added.

There was a period of silence. Then Kirika piped up. “Nope! Doesn’t look like it! Let’s kick these guys’ butts so we can get home and get some sleep!”

Ogawa gave her a momentary smile but then looked more severe. “Remember, we’re facing human enemies here. Don’t hesitate if any Alca-Noise appears but disarm and subdue the rest. Just like Val Verde. Understood?”

“Yes!” Everyone chorused back.

—

“Kohinata.” Tsubasa had to raise her voice somewhat to be heard over the roar of the helicopters rotors. “Are you nervous?”

From next to Miku, Hibiki suddenly looked uncharacteristically wary at what sounded like a possible challenge to her girlfriend but Tsubasa gave her a reassuring smile. Chris remained silent, only really half-listening to the exchange.

“Yes.” Miku replied honestly. “I mean, I think I’ve got a good grasp on my gear but I am worried that I’ll prove to be a hindrance.”

Tsubasa chuckled. “It was the same with me, the first time I deployed out to battle the Noise.”

Both Miku and Hibiki blinked in surprise at that while Chris’s head turned.

“I don’t think Kanade had any nervousness that first time.” Tsubasa continued. “But then Kanade was always so eager to get at the Noise, particularly before we formed Zwei Wing.” She permitted herself a moment of nostalgia at the thought of her old partner. “Anyways, it’s fine to be nervous. Just don’t let it consume you. Even if you do make a mistake, learn from it to do better next time.”

“I-I see.” Miku smiled. “Thank you, Tsubasa. I do feel a bit better.”

“Alright!” The pilot shouted back to them. “We’re coming up on the LZ! You girls ready?!”

“Always!” Hibiki whooped, grabbing Miku’s hand and shooting her the widest grin she could manage. The two rose to their feet practically at the same time.

“Don’t get too eager, you maniac!” Chris grinned as she and Tsubasa got up.

From the pair of helicopters coming in to hover several hundred meters over dead tree’s, seven forms fell away. Seven holy chants echoed out across the abandoned park. Seven flashes of light announced the final transformation of seven girls into valkyries of song, hope, and miracles.

But from the trenches below, hundreds of hidden eyes watched the scene without emotion. Though the scene was impressive, it just wasn’t in their nature to feel anything.

—

_ “All White Units, HVT Sierra one through seven deployment verified. Disperse AALG, liquidate HVTs. Sacrifice authorized. Reinforcements ingressing. Red Unit Out.” _

—

_ “Rubbing that yet unhealed solitude in the wrong way.  
_ _ Sadness seeks a resting-place in anger.  
_ _ The song that should have once been a prayer._  
Lost its harmony and infringes the heart.”

Tsubasa’s voice rang out into the otherwise still air as the seven girls charged forward into the wasteland surrounding the Château in a V formation. Hibiki was the tip of the spear, followed by Tsubasa and Kirika on either side of her. Maria and Shirabe fell in behind them. Finally the two ranged fighters, Chris and Miku, made up the respective tips.

The moment the adaptors passed out of the woodlands and into the desolate dead zone, a hail of bullets and rockets descended upon them. The previous summer, when they had gotten back from Val Verde, Miku asked Hibiki what it was like to be shot while wearing Symphogear armor. Hibiki likened it to rain, except one didn’t get wet. Experiencing it first hand, Miku decided the description was pretty apt.

It was only much later, after their confession, that Hibiki would realize that Miku was upset at the idea of people shooting at her. Miku didn’t hold it against her. And she could hardly fault her now.

As Ogawa had said, the enemy was firing upon them from a network of slit trenches and foxholes that had been practically invisible until the soldiers started firing. From the adaptors’ perspective, they had practically popped out of the earth both from their front and to their left and right.

Shouldering through gunfire and weaving between the rockets, the adaptors split up to take on the challengers. Hibiki and Miku kept moving forward, Maria and Tsubasa went left, Chris, Kirika, and Shirabe went right.

With Gungnir already drawn back, Hibiki leapt into the air towards one foxhole. The gas-masked soldiers with their glowing blue goggles followed her with their gunfire, trying to shoot her down mid-air. She descended into their midst, aiming at empty ground between them as the force of her landing hurled them against the walls of the foxhole, knocking their weapons away to be shattered with a series of precise follow-up jabs. Miku floated over the battlefield after Hibiki, a series of precise blasts from the Shenshoujing instantly rendering the weapons from a squad in another trench useless heaps of slag.

On the left, Tsubasa simply charged right up to one trench. Ame no Habakiri flashed, slicing their guns in two. Maria kept slightly more distance in her attacks, Airgetlamh lashing out to tear and crush another trenches weaponry.

On the right, Kirika and Shirabe limited themselves to following Tsubasa’s example. Shul-Shagana and Igalima slashed, tore, and rent apart the weapons of two more trenches of soldiers. As her juniors acted, Chris shot the guns out of the hands of another fox hole with Ichaival’s crossbows.

The adaptors figured they knew what would happen next. Once they got over the sudden shock of being disarmed, the soldiers would retreat or surrender. Depending on how well trained and disciplined they were, the retreat might be organized or it might be panicked. That was how it had been every other time they faced human soldiers and it had become expectation.

It was at this point that reality diverged from expectations.

The soldiers Hibiki had knocked over in the foxhole almost immediately sprang back up and bodily hurled themselves onto the surprised dirty-blonde in a piledriver. Tsubasa’s song cut off mid-lyric as one of the soldiers in the trench she was standing over reached out, grabbed her by the right leg, and yanked her off her feet. The rest of the soldiers in the trench immediately descended upon her, punching or stabbing with combat knives. Shirabe suffered the same fate, one of the soldiers suddenly lunging forward to grab her and drag her down, with the rest following in to deliver their own blows. The soldiers Kirika had just disarmed followed the lead of the ones that had struck at Hibiki, as one lunging forward to pile drive her.

And for Maria, Chris, and Miku, the soldiers they disarmed all clambered out of their trenches and fox holes, some drawing combat knives as they did so, and came charging at the astonished adaptors. In particular, Chris gaped at the sight in shock. “You can’t be serious!”

In each and every case there had been no hesitation and no moment of delay. One moment, the soldiers lost their guns, the very next they immediately were counterattacking with their bodies and knives.

Despite suddenly throwing the adaptors on the back foot, these initial counter-attacks really did very little physical damage. It was through their sheer surprise, suddenness, and the adaptors’ unpreparedness that they even managed to so much as throw them off their feet.

Hibiki, Tsubasa, Kirika, and Shirabe all leapt back up, throwing the soldiers who had dogpiled them aside with sheer power. But no sooner did the soldiers they had thrown off fall back to the ground then did they start to scramble back to their feet, with no sign they were stunned or winded even for a second.

“What’s with these guys?!” Chris shouted, having transformed her crossbows into hornet pistols and was blocking their attempted blows. It wasn’t difficult, by any stretch of the imagination, but it was annoying and kept her pinned down. With a punch, she sent one of the soldiers attacking her sprawling back down on the ground but, not only did he start to get back up, his spot was just immediately occupied by another one who had been circling around, waiting for a space to get in.

“They have to be crazy!” Kirika shouted back, stuck in a similar situation, as she blocked another blow with Igalima. She jabbed out with the scythe’s handle and sent another soldier sprawling away, only for the same thing to happen and another one leap in to take his place.

“Get back!” Miku shouted, backing away from the soldiers bearing down on her and knocking those back who got too close with the Shenshoujing’s cables. “I don’t want to hurt you!” But if the soldiers heard her, they didn’t show it and simply pursued her with a relentless determination. Worse, since she was mostly keeping her distance, that made her a prime target for all the soldiers still in the trenches who hadn’t been disarmed.

“Alright, that’s enough!” Hibiki shouted as she blocked another blow by the soldier trying to attack her. She struck one of the soldiers hard enough to launch him back a good several feet. This time, he didn’t get back up, out cold. Another soldier leapt forward to take his place, only to meet the same fate. In a series of jabs and blows, she knocked the soldiers attacking her out. Then turning, she launched herself at the soldiers pursuing Miku, scattering them like pinballs as she barrelled into them.

“We can’t stay here!” Maria agreed, fending off the jabs and blows of the soldiers who had come down on her. “We have to up the ante! If they won’t run, knock ‘em out!” And in a flurry of attacks, she sent the soldiers around her crumpling to the ground unconscious.

Tsubasa smashed a soldier unconscious with the hilt of her sword, only for another one to come charging at her. The singer held out Ame no Habakiri defensively, figuring it would ward him off and preparing to knock him back with a kick when he swerved to avoid it. But to her shock and horror, it was like he didn’t even notice it and with full force he charged right into the blade, impaling himself upon it. Any ordinary human would have been immediately debilitated by the pain of such a wound but instead the soldier just kept pushing on, driving himself deeper upon the blade until he was finally close enough for his hands to wrap around the stunned Tsubasa’s throat… and then went limp as he finally succumbed to the blood loss.

Tsubasa stared in horror at the body slumped on her blade for so long that she was completely blindsided when another soldier slammed into her from the right. This time, she had the presence of mind to roll with the punch and threw the soldier off of her.

Chris pistol whipped another soldier, sending him down for good, only for another to leap on her from behind. Before she could throw him off, she heard a slight “click” and then her world became dust and noise. Leaping out of the dust, she felt as if her upper body had been drenched in water and reached up to wipe at it. Her hand came away covered in blood. _ ‘Holy shit!’ _ She realized. _ ‘He blew himself up! They’re not just crazy. They’re positively _ ** _psychotic_ ** _ !’ _

_ ‘This doesn’t feel like we’re fighting humans at all!’ _ Shirabe thought to herself as she disarmed another group of soldiers, only for them to lunge out at her like the last group. Some of them slugged her so hard that she heard the bones in their hands and arms break, yet they didn’t even so much as let out a grunt of pain, instead reeling back to strike with their good hands… only for Shirabe to smash them unconscious with the shielding on Shul-Shagana. _ ‘This determination to kill, this total lack of any self-preservation... It’s more like we’re fighting Noise!’ _

And it was at that point the enemy decided to introduce a new element to the battlefield. The gunfire from those soldiers still armed slackened slightly as a number of them stopped firing to grab and throw small canisters from their belts. At the same time, a distant rumbling grew quickly grew into a series of high pitched whistles. Tsubasa looked up, saw the incoming mortar shells, and leapt upward intending to slice them in two, only for the first one she was bound to intercept to suddenly burst into a familiar red mist. The same translucent red gas began to hiss out of the canisters the soldiers had thrown and rapidly the entire battlefield was blanketed in a dull red tint.

It took a moment for the adaptors to place why the red gas seemed familiar. A feeling of dread quickly settled in the pit of Maria’s stomach when she did. “Anti-LiNKER! They’re using Anti-LiNKER!”

Her cry came too late, they were already exposed. They could feel the synchronization with their gears began to collapse, the backlash building. It felt worse, _ way _worse, then when they had been exposed to the Anti-LiNKER Dr. Ver used.

As if the anti-LiNKER wasn’t enough, a huge force of soldiers appeared over from the direction of the Château, laying down a massive barrage of fire that swept across the Adaptors, increasing the pain of the backlash. Then with a high-pitched whine of turbofans, the kicker almost literally fell upon them: four VTOL gunships, bristling with chainguns, rocket pods, and missile racks, dropped from the sky in an attack run, their weapons blazing and rolling over the adaptors in a storm of bullets and explosions, knocking them about.

“How did those get past the JSDF?!” Chris bit out over the commlink through the pain of the backlash as her body was steadily overwhelmed by the armor trying to block all the explosions and bullets.

“I don’t know, but we don’t have time to think about it!” Tsubasa shouted back through her own pain, “Mitigation measures, now!”

They shed their armor, excess bits falling and crumbling away. The physical changes of their armor was more symbolic than anything else, but it was representative of the deliberate loss of power that they needed to handle the artificially lowered synch ratios. The knowledge that they were losing functions acquired through hard work and sacrifice, both their own and others, pained the adaptors but it was better than getting steadily torn apart by one's own gear. They had to jettison more than they expected, this new batch of Anti-LiNKER was potent indeed, and soon enough they found themselves wearing the armor combinations that they had fought Carol and her Autoscorers in.

Hibiki sighed in relief as the backlash began to fade, her older combination more in line with the synch rate the Anti-LiNKER had driven her down too. But the moment was short lived, her blood froze when she heard a very familiar scream. She immediately turned and began to run towards the source. “Miku!”

Miku had collapsed and was thrashing in pain from the backlash, the Shenshoujing still in the configuration that they had destroyed Yggdrasil with. This development didn’t escape the enemies notice, as the gunfire from their ground forces perceptibly shifted so the weight of it was now coming down on and around on Miku. Worse, two of the gunships slid into a stand off attack pattern, their attention pretty clearly focused on Miku.

‘_ We haven’t trained her to counter Anti-LiNKER yet! She doesn’t know what to do!’ _Tsubasa’s eyes widened in horrified realization. She took off after Hibiki, shouting. “Maria, Tsukuyomi, Akatsuki, Yukine, smash that gun line!”

Hibiki leapt between Miku and the gunships just as the pair opened fire with both their chain guns and rocket pods. Both girls vanished in a torrent of smoke, dust, and explosions. The weight of fire was enough that the gas cloud of Anti-LiNKER blanketing everything perceptibly shifted.

“Hibiki! Miku!” Kirika shouted in alarm, skidding to a halt in her charge towards the gunline. But the dust cloud lifted to reveal…

“A wall?” Shirabe said before mentally kicking herself for not recognizing the enormous sword buried into the ground. Undoubtedly, Tsubasa would have reprimanded her had she heard. From atop ** _Heaven’s Wrath_ **, Tsubasa glared up at the two gunships which fell back away into a circling holding pattern.

“Tsubasa and Tachibana will take care Kohinata!” Maria shouted, turning back towards the gunline. “Come on!”

Hibiki shot a grateful look up at Tsubasa before turning her attention to her girlfriend, swiftly cradling her in her arms. “Miku!”

“Hibiki?” Miku managed. She opened her eyes for a moment, only to squeeze them right back shut. “W-what’s happening? I-it hurts… s-so much.”

“Kohinata!” Tsubasa shouted, leaping down from atop the Heaven’s Wrath. “It’s backlash from your gear! The gas forcibly destroys your ability to synchronize! You have to set it to a lower combination that you can cope with!"

“I-I’ll try.” Miku bit out. As with the others, the edge of the Shenshoujing crumbled away and soon enough Miku was back in the armor combination she wore when she had first fought with the Shenshoujing, although thankfully without the Direct Feedback Systems headset and nerve link. The black-haired girl gave a tremendous sigh. “I’m… I’m okay now, thank you Tsubasa.”

Tsubasa also sighed with relief as Hibiki helped Miku back up. That had been far, _ far _ too close. Even with Hibiki in the way, had she not managed to get Heaven’s Wrath down in time, the backlash from absorbing the gunship’s barrage would have undoubtedly forced Miku out of her gear and killed her. That would have been devastating, and not just for Hibiki. Tsubasa fists tightened so much that she would have drawn blood if she hadn’t been in her armor. _ ‘I can’t lose anyone else.’ _

A rumbling sound swiftly grew into a high pitched whistle descending from above and the three adaptors leapt away just in time for the mortar rounds to burst over head and send a cluster of explosives tearing through where they had been standing. “Come on!” Tsubasa shouted, dissolving Heaven’s Wrath away, “We need to get back with the others!”

\--

“How are they doing?” Lieutenant Acampora asked as the mortar battery a few dozen meters away fired off another volley of mixed cluster explosive and Advanced Anti-LiNKER Gas rounds.

Voronin reached up and made a minute adjustment to his scope. “Sierra Two’s handling the AALG best. That’s who we’re poaching from right now. As for who’s handling it worst… well, that depends. Sierra Seven took it worse in an absolute sense but that’s just her inexperience talking. Factor that out, it's a tie between Sierra’s Five and Six. Pretty much what we expected.” He glanced up. “Sure you don’t want me to take any shots from here?”

The American shook her head. “Let the Staples wear at them a bit more first. That’s what they're there for. Hell, if they keep holding back like this we might not even need to jump in.” She waved down towards the transports parked off to the side. “We’re almost done loading and Caprice has already set the charges where the Professor said too.”

“Right.” Voronin glanced back down his scope. “What about the JSDF?”

Samantha glanced out from her observation perch on the roof of the Château towards the distant horizon just in time for it to light up in a series of flashes and deep booms. She gave a wry smile. “They’ll be late.”

\--

Chris’s frustration was growing. They were having to hold back against… whatever these were! They couldn’t be human, a growing conviction was telling her, there was too much pointing against it. The first glaring sign was the outright suicidal determination with which they fought and their complete non-reaction to wounds that would have debilitated any normal person.

The fight had been going on long enough that some of the soldiers they had previously knocked out had even gotten back up and were rejoining. Even those who had broken arms or legs were limping or dragging themselves right back into the battle. Some seemed to be staggering in with clear signs of concussions, yet they still dove right back into the action.

But that was merely the most obvious. Chris was quickly catching onto something much more subtle: the sheer silence with which the soldiers fought. There was never so much as a grunt or pant of pain or exertion from them. The vast majority of noises they ever made came from their weaponry: the clicks when they reloaded or adjusted firing settings, the noise of metal on metal when they drew their knives, the clink of pins on grenades and those Anti-LiNKER gas canisters, and of course the noise when their guns fired. Occasionally they made an unavoidable sound from their movement: the squelch of a boot slapping into a puddle of mud or a leg being dragged across the dirt. But otherwise, they moved, fought, and fell in utter silence. Even the Noise at least made a bizarre, insect-like squelching when they were around.

That made it all the more unnerving when Chris could see that they still bled like humans. They were all well aware of this by now, since she was no longer the only one covered in their blood by this point. At least it wasn’t from anything the adaptors did. The initial reservations the soldiers had shown in shooting through each other had apparently vanished by the time they had reached the gunline the reinforcements had set up. And that first suicide bomber who had jumped Chris hadn’t been the only one.

It wasn’t just the soldiers any more either. Mortar rounds unceasingly plunged from the sky, either dispersing more Anti-LiNKER or dumping cluster explosives on an area whenever an adaptor stayed in one place for too long. And then there were the gunships. Those were the worst, since they couldn’t actually do anything against them for fear of killing the pilots, meaning they would come down and blast away from a comfortable distance, forcing whichever adaptor they targeted into an incessant dodge pattern to avoid being staggered. And neither the mortars nor the gunships seemed to be too picky about avoiding their own soldiers if they were in close proximity to one of the adaptors. That was yet another source of the blood they were all spattered in by now.

Yet as much as all the evidence indicated these soldiers weren’t actually human, one thing still held them back: the possibility that the evidence might be wrong.

Chris and Miku were hanging back, shooting weapons out of the hands of soldiers and only knocking out either those who drew too close or the stragglers coming up from the back, Miku with her cables and Chris with straightforward pistol whipping. The other adaptors, by contrast, had charged in and were smashing the lights out of all those soldiers in reach. They were all a constant blur of motion, staying on the move to avoid the mortar and gunship strikes that were the only things that could at least stagger them.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t Chris whose frustration boiled over first. As one of the gunships rolled in for an attack run on Kirika, the wielder of Igalima stopped and turned towards the rapidly approaching aircraft.

“Kirika?!” Maria shouted when she spotted the Igalima wielder bracing herself against the oncoming assault. Shirabe turned at the shout just in time to see the gunship open fire on Kirika, it’s rockets and chain gun rounds stitching their way towards the blonde.

At the last moment, Kirika leapt forward, arcing up straight on to meet the gunship on the lowest point of it’s run. The gunship, clearly seeing what she was trying to do, twisted, altering its trajectory too try and avoid the intercept. But Kirika fired the boosters on her armor, matching its turn. Raising her scythe, she slammed down onto the aircraft just above the armored cockpit with enough force to make the aircraft shudder.

The gunship twisted and turned as it climbed up, bursting out of the Anti-LiNKER gas cloud, trying to throw Kirika off. But the Igalima user gripped the scythe burrowed in the chassis tight, twisted herself about so she was facing the cockpit, and then anchored herself down by digging her heels down into the armor. Only then did she yank the scythe out before pausing for a moment.

She had expected there to be some kind of window for the pilots to look out of. Armored windows, sure, but still windows. Instead she found nothing but smooth armor. How were the crew seeing out? Cameras?

Well, it didn’t matter. With a swing, the blonde expertly tore the top off of the armored compartment, expecting to see the shocked faces of the pilot and gunner staring up at her. Instead, she saw nothing but banks and banks of computer chips.

She blinked for a moment before realization struck. The gunships were unmanned. That piece of knowledge established, Kirika lifted Igalima and in a single stroke bisected the gunship.

“Kiri-chan?!” Shirabe’s voice echoed over her commlink in shock.

“The gunships!” Kirika called back out as she plunged back towards the ground. “They’re unmanned! Drones!”

Chris and Miku paused as they processed the words and then exchanged a glance. If the gunships were unmanned then that meant… they didn’t have to hold back against them.

In an instant, Chris dispensed with her Hornet Pistols for the quad gatling guns of ** _Billion Maiden _ **and turned them skyward. In a matter of seconds, she walked the magical high-caliber rounds into one of the gunships. Rather impressively, its armor actually held for a moment before crumpling under the thunderstorm of impacts and the gunship detonated as its fuel and ammo cooked off.

For Miku the aiming process was much simpler, the benefits of wielding a near-light speed weapon, and therefore her destruction of the gunships was that much faster. Her first blast tore off the engine of one, sending it spiralling away. Her second punched through the final gunships midsection, causing it to detonate in mid-air much as Chris’s barrage had done.

\--

“Ah, never mind. Looks like we’ll have to step in after all.” Samantha absently said as the debris from the last gunship rained down towards the ground. “Let’s go.”

\--

Hibiki’s fist smashed into the side of the last soldier’s head, sending him crumpling to the ground out cold. There remained a few stragglers with broken legs who were still trying to crawl their way across the bodies of their unconscious and, in a distressing number of cases, dead comrades to get at the adaptors, but so long as they kept an eye on the crawlers they weren’t even a nuisance. The mortaring had stopped about a minute beforehand, aside from the occasional Anti-LiNKER round dropping into the general vicinity, but that didn’t keep the adaptors from leaving a wary ear out for the telltale whistle of a descending round right on them.

“Hell.” Chris groaned. She didn’t feel physically tired, the Symphogear system took care of that, but the unexpectedly gruelling fight the soldiers’ fanaticism led them too certainly weighed on her mentally. “That… that was way harder than it should have been!”

“How far have we come?” Kirika asked, glancing up at the Chateau.

Maria frowned, glancing over her shoulder to gauge the distance they had come. “About a half-kilometer. It’s another kilometer to the crater’s edge.” She frowned. “And I’m willing to bet there are more soldiers waiting for us.”

“Eh?!” Miku turned at that news. “You don’t think this was all of them? There were so many...”

“Basic military strategy is to try and always maintain some degree of reserve to cover for unexpected eventualities. At the very least, we’ve probably depleted their forces.” Tsubasa replied. Then she inquired about something that had been worrying her for a bit now but she couldn’t bring up in the heat of battle. “More importantly. Has anyone managed to raise HQ?”

“Huh?” Hibiki immediately reached up to her earpieces. “HQ? HQ? Hello? Can anyone hear me?”

Nothing but static greeted her on the long-range comms.

“Were they attacked?” Shirabe’s worry was clear.

“Wait!” Tsubasa quickly said, straining her ears into the static.

“-lo? Hello? Can you hear me?” Elfnein’s voice managed to ring out over the long-range commlink.

“Yes!” Hibiki almost shouted in relief. “We can hear you Elfnein!”

“Oh thank goodness!” Elfnein’s relief was palpable even over the commlink. “Ogawa! I managed to find a way around the jamming!”

“Good work.” Ogawa’s voice cut in after a moment. “Is everyone okay? Your synch rates look astonishingly low. And that gas cloud, is that really-?”

“Anti-LiNKER, yes.” Maria said. “The Four Horsemen have an improved formula of Anti-LiNKER and their troops have proven to be… extraordinarily fanatical. We’ve had to drop our gear combination to mitigate.”

“Fanatical hell!” Chris cut in. “That was downright _ inhuman _! Didn’t you see that one guy who was missing an arm and he still emptied an entire magazine into you before trying to smash the rifle over your head?!”

“I noticed him, yes, given that I had to knock him out.” Maria kept her retort short. “Ogawa, how much can you see?”

“The gas cloud is fairly translucent, but it’s still thick enough to obscure the cameras we’re using, given how far they are.” Ogawa said. “I’m afraid I have some more bad news.”

“Oh great.” Chris grumbled, although not over the commlink. She took a moment to deliver a swift kick into the head of one soldier with a broken leg who looked like he was finally crawling into lunging range, dropping him back down.

“The JSDF troops were hit by cruise missile strikes while moving up to their assembly areas. It’ll be hours before they can get reorganized.” Ogawa said. “And the air patrols they were running have been engaged by unidentified fighters, most likely belonging to the Four Horsemen.”

“This is starting to sound like a trap.” That observation Chris did broadcast.

“And you’d be wrong.” A new voice cut in, a definite Korean accent in her Japanese. “All you had to do was stay out of this one. But I guess you SONG dogs just can’t help but meddle with things you shouldn’t.”

Everyone started at that. There was… someone else in their commlink?

“Who is this?” Ogawa asked. Only Tsubasa noticed that his voice sounded much tighter than normal.

“Is that you, Shinji Ogawa?” The voice asked. “Have you also tried to forget about Sinwon-Up, like the rest of your shitty little clan? Perhaps you need another reminder...”

The only warning Tsubasa received was that of Maria’s eyes widening and starting to raise Airgetlamh, but it was warning enough. She spun around, bringing up Ame no Habakiri just in time to block the oncoming blow. There was a clang of metal on metal and Tsubasa found herself staring into the angry green eyes of Jwa Ji-Eun, their swords locked together.

“Tsubasa!” Maria shouted, turning to aid the idol… only to feel something strike her back.

“You really should pay more attention to your own surroundings, _ cara _.” An Italian accent purred into her ear. Maria swung Airgetlamh around but Caprice was already leaping clear away, a bright grin on her face as she tapped at the console on her arm. The satchel charge she had placed on Maria’s back detonated and strangely seemed to impart far more force than it should have, tossing Maria forward. More stunned than hurt, Maria twisted around and made a precise three point landing next to Tsubasa.

In the meantime, Tsubasa kicked out at Jwa but the Korean woman took the opportunity to leap back away towards where Caprice had jumped. Kirika and Shirabe moved to intercept, only to stagger when what seemed like a tremendous mass of muscle plummeted from the sky and smashed down into the ground between them. Shirabe barely had time to turn to face the new threat only for Darmawan’s massive fist, clad in metal, to wrap around her head and chuck her straight into Kirika. The two quickly sprung apart in mid-air, landing by Maria.

Chris levelled Billion Maiden at the Indonesian, but a shot rang out just as she pulled the trigger. The rifle bullet struck the adaptor’s head with ** _far _ **more force than it had any right too, staggering her and sending her burst of fire mostly wide. To the adaptor’s astonishment, the few shots that did strike Darmawan just caused him to turn and glare. But Chris’s head whipped around in the direction of the shot that threw her off. It took a moment for her to recognize who she saw.

“_ You… _” Chris growled, her attention squarely focused on the cocky grin of Kir Voronin as he lowered his rifle slightly. Then it shot back up and several more shots rang out but this time Chris was already moving, leaping aside towards where her Kouhais and Maria were, causing the rounds to pass through empty space.

“You are-” Miku began, only for a sustained barrage of machine gun fire to smash into the two ionocraft modules on her legs. Incredibly, whereas all the previous barrage of fire hadn’t done anything, these managed to perforate it. One of the rounds hit_ something _in the module that caused the flight system to short out and Miku tottered forward at the sudden loss of her hover abilities. She barely managed to come into a controlled landing, only stopped from face planting completely when Maria reached out and steadied her. Mwikiza Gowon lowered the machine gun, grim satisfaction on his face.

“Miku!” Hibiki shouted, lunging forward towards Gowon, Gungnir pulling back for the punch… only for the stock of a rifle to come from the side and smash her square in the face with enough force that it actually threw her aside. But with a mid-air flip she landed solidly on her feet in front of the other adaptors, facing towards the new enemy.

The two sides faced off. Seven on one side, six on the other. The adaptors took in their new opponent. They noticed the strange bodysuits their opposition were wearing, a strange interweaving of unidentifiable fabrics and metals that seemed to meld together into a seamless blend and didn’t _ quite _cling to the skin in the same manner as their own Symphogear suits. They certainly covered a lot more skin, completely enclosing the White Noise Squad’s bodies from neck to feet. Magazines and, in Caprice’s case, all sorts of explosives hung from the chests of those with ranged weapons.

“White Noise squad.” Lieutenant Samantha Acampora stated, racking the action on the rifle she had hit Hibiki with. “Engaging…”

\----

**Next Chapter**: White Noise

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine some people will be wondering about the relative lack of special attacks in the fight scene this chapter. The key answer to that is actually made in the chapter, but I’ll reiterate it: the Symphogears throughout this chapter are fighting regular human infantry (or to be more accurate, what they thought were regular human infantry) and hence are very deliberately holding back. As to what the “Staples” actually are… well, that’s for a future chapter but there are hints in the name and some of the previous foreshadowing. Be fun to see which guesses are closest to being accurate.
> 
> Poor Miku’s been getting the short stick lately a bit in this fic so far? And on her birthday too*! I mean, I figured out what happened to her this chapter based on the simple fact that she's the most inexperienced and it’s been so long since they had to fight under Anti-LiNKER conditions that they didn’t prioritize training against it but any more wouldn’t be really fair, would it? Guess that means I’ll have to give her a bit of a break on that front while I ramp up the suffering on the others. So they too can then go “fuck it” and punch on through later with the power of song, friendship, and (yuri) love, of course. It’s Symphogear after all. Fortunately, there’s a couple of mechanisms that I have either winding up or already in motion which will do the job.
> 
> *On that note, happy birthday Miku!


	6. White Noise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning. This chapter briefly deals with self-worth issues and suicidal thoughts.

Distortions  
Chapter 6:  
White Noise

\----

  
The sound of clicking boots filled the air as the sentries straightened their backs and made way for him as he came down the steps of the ministry. He didn’t pay much attention to the salutes, simply acknowledging them with a curt nod as he passed them to step into the waiting limo. He glanced up to his chauffeur in the driver's seat. “Straight home, as you please.”  
  
Without even waiting for a reply he closed the window. The passenger compartment was armored, completely soundproof, and the bulletproof windows were not so much tinted as they were outright a one-way mirror. The only person who could see him was his chauffeur and, for appearances sake, he made sure to click on a football game.  
  
He had no fear of electronic surveillance. His other job ensured that. “Red Unit, report.”  
  
The voice that came back over the speakers was as appropriately artificial as the thing it was speaking for. “JSDF ingress has been mitigated. Sierras deployed but intercepted by Whiskey-November, currently engaging. Objective Charlie-Delta-Tango prepared for liquidation. Alpha-Sierra-Papa egress commencement ETA, thirty minutes. A window of air superiority has been secured for their withdrawal. Current losses: Nine-hundred eighty-six White Unit Infantry WIA-slash-KIA and four VTOL attack aircraft write-offs to the Sierras. Three air superiority fighter write-offs to JSDF forces. Munitions expenditure thus far-”  
  
“Success is basically assured then.” He cut it off as he poured himself a drink from the limo’s refrigerator. “Projected risks?”  
  
“In addition to the loss of deployed White Unit Battlegroups, six-point-eight-seven percent chance of casualty within Whisky-November, twelve-point-three-four percent chance of discovery on Pale Unit facility five-sixty-seven. Twenty-four-point-seven-nine percent chance of discovery on Black Unit facility five-thirty-two. Forty-six-point-six-one percent chance of discovery on-”  
  
“That’s enough.” He again interrupted, sitting back and at least appearing to give his full attention to the game. “Forward the list of installations they have a greater than half-chance of finding to my home terminal. Odds of a significant casualty on the Sierra’s side?”  
  
“One-point-three-three percent.”  
  
He chuckled. “It was a little bit early to be hoping for that, I suppose. If only we could have had the opportunity to catch one of them by themselves. Or if we could only have waited until Project Sabin was completed. Ah well... who knows, after tomorrow someone else might do it for us.” He took a sip. “Speaking of, status on the release?”  
  
“Packages have been dispatched, first deliveries have already arrived. Projected time until first broadcast: inside of six hours.”  
  
“Good.” He said. “Prepare an AAR for me the moment the operation ends and transmit it to my home terminal. That is all.”  
  
The Lamb let the compartment lapse into a comfortable silence before closing his eyes for a moment. No more time for any doubts now, he was committed. He opened his eyes again. “It is our duty to kill the gods with the tools of man and man alone. Humans cannot be truly independent until that is achieved.”  
  
With that reminder, he downed the rest of his drink and actually started to watch the game.

\----

“H-hold on!” Hibiki hastily said. “Can’t we talk about this first?”  
  
Lieutenant Acampora sighed in annoyance. Behind her, Caprice shot a victorious grin at Voronin as she pulled the grenade launcher off her back. “Ha! You owe me!”  
  
The sniper just rolled his eyes in response.  
  
Chris snapped her head towards Hibiki, fury written all over her face. It’d been a long time since she felt this angry at Hibiki’s instinct to try and appeal to a human enemy. “Idiot! Do you really want to talk to _**them**_? They killed the old man! They killed _Genjuro_!”  
  
Hibiki looked at her. “I’m not so naive as to believe we can avoid fighting after what they have done.” She turned back to the White Noise. “But even so, I want to know why.”  
  
“And you think we’ll just _tell _you?” Jwa’s voice was incredulous, brandishing her blade. The rest of the White Noise squad followed her lead, raising their weapons. The adaptors tensed, preparing to receive the attack. But the Lieutenant held up a hand to stay them, giving Hibiki a thoughtful look.  
  
Finally, Samantha spoke. “You think this is some issue of understanding, correct?”  
  
Hibiki nodded.  
  
“Then you are badly mistaken.” Samantha said. “Our interests are irreconcilable. You want to live, and we want to kill you. There can be no compromise.”  
  
“But why?” Miku asked, following her girlfriend’s lead. “Why do you wish to hurt us so badly?” For a moment she thought she had made a mistake, as Samantha’s gaze hardened into clear hatred as she looked at Miku. In spite of this, she did not signal her subordinates to attack.  
  
“I’m sure _you _of all people know my personal reason.” The American almost hissed back at Miku. “I will not speak for the others.”  
  
“You can speak for me!” Caprice said eagerly. “I want to blow stuff up!”  
  
“Thank you, Corporal.” Samantha added in a tone that clearly really meant ‘shut the fuck up, _now_’. The Italian obediently lapsed into silence. “But for the reasons that aren’t personal? Well, let me ask you a question in turn: what guarantee do we have that all of you or the inheritors of your gear, whoever they may be, will not wield them against humanity?”  
  
Hibiki opened her mouth to reply… only for nothing to come out. It was a question she had simply never considered before. Using her gear to hurt others without provocation? The thought was absurd. That she could say with confidence and she would instantly say the same about her friends. And she knew her friends were better than that too. But what reassurance would that provide to people who didn’t know her or her friends? And then there was that caveat Samantha had added. Assuming she won this and any future battles, she would still grow up, have a family with Miku, live her life, and then pass away. What sort of person would wield Gungnir then?  
  
“You must be joking.” In lieu of an immediate response from Hibiki, Maria stepped up to answer. “All the times we’ve risked our lives to save humanity… does that mean nothing to you?!”  
  
“The past is no guarantee of the future.” Darmawan said. “And if you do wish to appeal to the past, then what does your collaboration with Doctor Ver say?” His gaze drifted over to Chris. “Or this one’s collaboration with Finé?”  
  
“You may have freed mankind from the Curse of Balal, from the custodians.” Voronin added. “But there’s no point in casting out the old gods just to replace them with new ones. As it is, you have distorted our history as much as the Custodians have. Even if you never turn against mankind, you will hold us back with your ‘heretical technology’.”  
  
“Your powers are an affront to God. That’s why they are ‘heretical.’” Gowon concluded.  
  
“Maybe you're right about that.” Hibiki finally said. “Maybe we can’t guarantee the Symphogears would never be used for the wrong purposes again. Perhaps we are holding humanity back in some way. I don’t believe it, but I can see how I might be wrong there. But even so!” Hibiki’s eyes narrowed. “You can’t harm people for things that haven’t happened! To hurt others just to destroy the relics? Just to destroy the Symphogears? That isn’t right! Don’t you think that could hurt humanity too, even if just morally?!”  
  
“I understand.” Samantha’s blunt admission surprised all the adaptors. “But as I said before, this is not a misunderstanding. So let me make this perfectly clear: I don’t care one wit about right and wrong. Not after you killed my brother. Not after what his death did to my family. Not after I learned the truth.” She gave a twisted smile. “So cut the moralizing shit. What I do care about is freeing mankind from the Custodians’ influence, all of its influence. You’re no different from Finé, the Alchemists, and Shem-Ha. You’re all poisonous fruit from the same tree. For the sake of my brother and everyone who has suffered at the hands of the Custodians, you must be eradicated.”  
  
Then the smile disappeared, replaced by grim resolve. In a flash she snapped her rifle up, took clear aim at Hibiki, and shouted her next order loud and clear: “ENGAGE!”  
  
—

While the verbal exchange took place, Miku had been dividing her attention between it and getting her Ionocraft modules working again. Without them, she knew she was at a crippling disadvantage in the imminent fight. Despite surface appearances, the mechanisms of Symphogear armor were not strictly mechanical. They were an expression of the adaptor’s will, and this enabled a degree of emergency self-repair, particularly when it came to “internal systems”.

As the White Noise’s leader raised her rifle, Miku managed to rearrange _ something _ in the internal combinations of her modules to cause them to sputter back to life. Shooting forward, Miku unfolded the Shenshoujing’s fan and interposed herself between Hibiki and Samantha just as the latter fired her rifle’s underbarrel grenade launcher, which detonated harmlessly upon the impromptu shield. In a ** _Flash_ **, a series of rapid fire beams burst from the Shenshoujing’s fan towards White Noise’s position. But they were already moving in anticipation of the counterattack, scattering away from the shots.

Immediately Chris’s eyes locked on to the retreating form of Voronin, who had leapt back away from the adaptors. She scowled at the coward and took off after him, Billion Maiden shifting back to her crossbows. “Get back here!”

“Yukine!” Tsubasa shouted, moving to impede the Ichaival user. “Don’t get-”

She was interrupted as Jwa darted towards her with astonishing speed, her own sword already swinging for a strike. Tsubasa brought Ame no Habakiri around just in time to block the blow, but Jwa didn’t waste any time trying to force her way through the block. Instead, she brought her sword down at another angle, forcing Tsubasa to retreat.

Samantha circled around the two engaged swordswomen to get a clear shot of Tsubasa, popping another grenade into her underbarrelled launcher and levelling it. She paused, cocked her head, and ducked down just in time for Hibiki’s fist to pass through where her back cavity would have been. Samantha’s leg kicked out in response, trying to sweep Hibiki off her feet.

Hibiki leapt into the sky and pulled Gungnir back, the gauntlets shifting to add rockets on the back of her arms. The rockets blazing away, she plunged back down with a ** _Spear’s Violent Destruction_ **. Samantha tried to roll away, but the impact was still close enough to send her sprawling forward onto her face.

Pushing herself up, Samantha looked up only to find herself staring straight into the folded fan of the Shenshoujing, Miku already prepared to deliver a point-blank laser blast. Their eyes locked…

Samantha smirked.

Alerted by the simple expression, Miku shot backwards just in time for a hail of machine gun bullets to tear through the space she was occupying. Gowon quickly shifted his fire to follow, his tracers chasing the black haired girl as she tried to swerve and dodge away from the incessant gunfire.

With Miku and Hibiki engaged, Maria leapt forward to assist Tsubasa, Airgetlamh extending out. With no other choice, Jwa disengaged and seemed to practically dance away from the whip-sword as she fell back from Maria, blocking any strike that looked like it would actually connect. Sensing they had the Korean on the backfoot, both Maria and Tsubasa pursued.

“Any time, Caprice.” Jwa muttered into her suit’s commlink.

“It’s a question of place, not time.” The Italian’s voice echoed in her ear. “Speaking of which, you’ll want to jump… _ now _.”

At the cue, Jwa leapt well into the air, far further than any regular human could. Tsubasa and Maria primed themselves to follow… only for the ground itself to explode out from under them as Caprice detonated the hastily placed charges Jwa had lured them over. The two young women were flung apart, both too stunned to recover before they hit the ground. Tsubasa barely managed to roll back onto her feet before Jwa was on her again, the Korean’s _ Chilseongem _ a constant blur of motion.

Maria, for her part, rolled aside on instinct. A solid decision, as a grenade bounced into the piece of ground she had just been laying on. Catapulting herself off the ground, Maria spun around towards the direction the grenade had come from and, seeing Caprice stand there, lashed out with Airgetlamh once more, the whip-sword fully extending out in a fury of striking blows as elegant yet direct as an ** _EMPRESS†REBELLION_ **.

To Maria’s astonishment, Caprice swung her grenade launcher around defensively as she backed away, using it like a bow-staff to block each of the blows from Maria’s attack. And by the end of it, the launcher was still perfectly intact.

Still keeping an eye on Caprice, Maria examined the launcher more thoroughly. There didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary about it: it looked like a standard semi-automatic grenade launcher with an eight round cylinder to hold its ammo. Airgetlamh should have bisected it with ease. Then again, all of White Noise’s weapons were unusually powerful. “How did you-?”

Before Maria could even finish the question, Caprice gave a flirtatious wink, flipped the launcher around right ways, and fired it in one seamless move. Airgatlemh lashed out, the chainsword leaping away to detonate the round a good distance away. But through the smoke and detritus came a large number of small black balls that landed at her feet. Maria started to leap away just a moment too late and the surprisingly powerful micro-explosives turned what should have been a smooth jump into a flailing launch away, the pinkette barely managing to recover in time to land on her feet.

“We’re definitely detecting phonic gain off of them!” Fujitaka’s voice buzzed in the adaptor’s ears. “But we can’t find any signs of them actually _ generating _it! No Aufwachen Waveform, no Alchemical signatures, no outer physics… nothing!“

_ ‘Well,’ _ Maria absently thought, ‘ _ that at least explained the unexpected resiliency and power of their weapons.’ _ Caprice jauntily stepped out of the dust and debris of the last explosion towards the pinkette, idly slotting in another grenade to the empty revolving chambers as she did. “You know you’re a replacement, right?”

Maria blinked in confusion. “What?”

“Come now. You know what I mean.” Caprice tilted her head meaningfully in the direction she had sent Tsubasa flying off. “Tall, reddish-hair, big chest. She’s got a type, and you fit it like a glove.”

_ ‘She’s comparing me to Kanade.’ _ Maria abruptly realized and snorted. Really? The Four Horsemen thought they could rile her up with that? There was no way she’d think so little of Tsubasa as to believe something so shallow of her.

Caprice seemed to recognize that but instead of looking dismayed, her smile instead seemed even more sly than before. “Oh, well. If your love life isn’t interesting enough, then I guess we could talk about your little white lie involving the Frontier Incident?”

Maria’s brief amusement died a swift death. “Did you also learn that from Sefer HaChaim?”

Caprice blinked in surprise for a moment and then threw her head back and laughed long and hard. “Oh, man, that was rich. Us, using a relic. It’s as if you haven’t been paying attention.” She sobered up… mostly. “Sefer HaChaim was destroyed along with Balal’s Curse.”

Maria didn’t buy that for a moment. “Then how…” She pointed Airgetlamh at Caprice. “Could you possibly know that? How could you know about _ any _of this?”

“Fuck you, that’s how,” Caprice said with casual dismissal. Maria simply gave her a flat look in response, but the Italian simply shrugged then brought up and aimed her launcher at the pinkette. “But enough about my secrets, let’s talk about yours!”

Another grenade coughed in Maria’s direction. Again, Maria lashed out with Airgetlamh, but this time she followed up by charging forward through the dust kicked up by its mid-air explosion. She broke through the debris and was immediately flung back as a swiftly planted claymore charge detonated practically in her face.

After a moment being stunned on the ground, Maria began to sit back up only for a solid boot to plant itself on her stomach. She glared past the barrel of the grenade launcher up at the smiling Caprice.

“Do you think you can hide your involvement with FIS forever?” Caprice casually droned on, as if she wasn’t shoving a giant weapon in Maria’s face. “Stuff like that’s going to come out eventually. I mean, when we hacked your database, we gained access to all of your secrets.” She then smiled in a coquettish way. “Hey, what do you think would happen if I were to tell everyone? Do you think they’d forgive you, or would they string you up like a common criminal?” Caprice leaned forward, her cheery smile gaining a slightly manic edge to it as she flipped a switch on the side of her launcher with her thumb. “On second thought, don’t bother answering. You won’t have to worry about a thing once your head’s been blow off!”

“Maria!” Kirika shouted, breaking away from supporting Shirabe against Darmawan to lunge forward with Igalima. At her shout, Caprice turned and fired a round at the approaching scythe wielder.

“Voronin.” Caprice muttered into her comms. “Blow it.”

Kirika lashed out at the round, but the moment before the scythe made contact, a bullet hit the grenade in mid-air, causing it to detonate earlier than expected and with rather more power than the last several grenades. The blonde was thrown back by the explosion.

Taking advantage of Caprice’s distraction, Maria lunged forward with a surge of strength, tossing the Italian woman off of her. Caprice barely had enough time to bring her launcher around to block Maria’s follow-up with Airgetlamh. With her free hand, Maria slugged Caprice across the face in a perfect boxer’s jab.

Caprice let the blow drive her back and leapt away, tossing down more of those black micro-explosive balls as she did. Maria also leapt back in response, clearing the blast just in time. The two stared at each other from across the distance they had opened up for a moment.

Caprice lifted her free hand and wiped away a hint of blood at the corner of her mouth. “Feisty. I like it.”

Then the launcher came up again as Maria moved and the two engaged once more.

—

“VORONIN!” Chris shouted angrily, glancing around the burnt out landscape, the sniper nowhere in sight. “Where are you, you coward?!”

She scowled around at the desolate surroundings. She hadn’t chased him ** _that _ **far from the others, so where the hell did he-

Acting on instinct, she ducked aside. It wasn’t fast enough to avoid the bullet completely, but it did mean it struck her shoulder rather than the center of her chest. Chris staggered at the force of the shot. Voronin was definitely enhancing the power of his shots with phonic gain, but she had caught sight of the muzzle flash from that bastard’s rifle. At first glance, it seemed to have come from the ground itself, but looking closely she could just make out the presence of one of those slit trenches the soldiers earlier had been using.

Her crossbows shot up, the energy bolts leaping away to blast into the trench, kicking up dirt and dust. Following hard in their wake, Chris shifted back to Billion Maiden as she stormed up and aimed directly down into the trench… the very _ empty _trench.

“Nice try.” The sniper’s voice echoed off the landscape, full of mirth. Damn, he could project his voice too?! “But I wasn’t anywhere near that spot. You really thought I would make _ that _rookie mistake?” The next shot struck her square in the back, sending her tumbling forward straight down into the trench.

Chris winced as she pushed herself up. That one hit was hard enough that she was probably going to bruise. Her first instinct was to spring back up and lay waste to everything in the direction the shot had come with Mega Deth Party, but Voronin was probably counting on that. Instead, she pushed herself into a sitting position, Billion Maiden folding back up and combining into the distinctive sniper-crossbow of ** _Red Hot Blaze_ **.

“You know…” The cockiness in the Russian’s voice made her blood boil. “Are those gatling guns really necessary? You don’t really have anything to be compensating for.”

Chris blinked. He was taunting her? _ He _ was taunting **her** ?! Oh yeah, she was definitely taking this fucker down. She sucked in a deep breath to try and calm herself a bit. ‘ _ Don’t let your temper cloud your judgement, Chris. _’

“Yeah, well…” She called back, inching her way up towards the lip of the trench, trying to peer out without exposing herself. “I never figured someone with a nickname like the ‘Raven of Death’ would be so eager to run away from a fight!”

When he replied, his voice sounded more amused than anything. “I’m a _sniper_, _suka_. I like to reach out from a good distance. And here I thought you would be the one amidst your little gang of oh-so-vaunted-heroes to understand that.” There was a moment's pause. “Although maybe not. You’re still using _that _thing? Please, stick with the rockets. I’m sure Caprice would appreciate it."

Alerted by the comment, Chris jerked herself back down just in time. The bullet came within a millimeter of grazing her head, solidly embedding itself in the far trench wall. She had seen the foxhole he fired from, though, and shot back up the moment she felt the round clear her head, her right eye glued to Red Hot Blaze’s scope, scanning to try and catch him moving between firing positions.

“Why’d you chase me all the way back here anyways?” Voronin was actually starting to sound bored. “Is it about old man Kazanari? I mean Genjuro, not the one Jwa stabbed.”

Chris forced herself to ignore that one. _ ‘Come on, come on, where the fuck are you?’ _If only it was day, then at least she would have a chance of catching the sun’s glint off his scope or something.

“You’re not that torn up about him, are you?” Voronin continued. “And here I figured I was doing you a favor! He was your _ pimp _, after all, right?”

_ ‘Hmph. So you were going to be my pimp, too.’ _ The memory of her own words echoed unbidden through Chris’s head. If she was angry before, now she was _ furious _. And at that moment, she caught a sliver of movement from a trench, this one already exposed, to the right of the foxhole Voronin had last fired from.

Without thinking, Chris swung her crosshairs onto the trench, the picture resolving into the outline of a person. Without any hesitation, she aimed at the center mass and fired. The crossbow’s energy bolt leaped across the distance, throwing the figure into the trench wall. With a triumphant grin, Chris rose and charged across the landscape, shifting Ichaival back to her pistols. Without any sense of deja-vu, she charged up to the trench and aimed down at the prone figure.

The goggles and gas mask of one of those soldiers stared blankly back up at her, the enormous gash Red Hot Blaze had torn in his chest joined the innumerable fragmentation wounds that had actually killed him.

A bullet from the trench to her _ left _ struck her in the side of her head, throwing her down. Pain lanced through her head and she felt something wet dripping down the side of her head, over the caked blood of the soldiers from earlier. In a moment of panic, Chris reached up with her fingers and probed at where the round had struck. She sighed in relief when the fingers came back with only a little bit of bright red on them. Looked like it only _ just _broke the skin.

Then she heard Voronin _ laugh _ . “Fuck, that was hilarious. You really think you can beat _ me _in a sniper duel? You Symphogears are so full of yourselves.” He paused for a moment. “Hey, how’s Sonya and her brat? You keep in touch?” A bit of menace started to creep into his normally cocky tone. “Do you think you can protect them from all the way over here?”

She was fighting the bastard who killed Genjuro and losing. The same bastard was now threatening two of her friends. And to top it off, she had a nasty headache. Now, Chris saw red. Turning in the direction she had been shot from, she made a snap decision to take Voronin’s earlier advice. If he thought she should stick with explosives, she’d give him _ fucking _explosives! Ichaival swung back to crossbows, which then narrowed and elongated as Chris aimed them up at a point just over where she thought Voronin was.

In each crossbow two enormous bolts sizzled into existence with a burst of energy, solidifying before firing off into the air. Quickly shedding speed, they broke apart into a large number of smaller bolts, which broke apart into even more smaller bolts that abruptly reversed momentum and plunged back down to the ground.

As it impacted, the ** _Giga Zeppelin_ ** carpeted the whole area in a torrent of fire. Explosions went off all over the place, turning the battlefield into a bunch of smoldering craters, looking as though a plane had come overhead and carpet-bombed the entire battlefield.

Unfortunately, Chris had not been paying attention to who else might have moved into the area by Voronin.

“Ah!” Shirabe and Kirka cried out, one of the explosions clipping them. The Zababa duo was sent flying through the air. Distracted as they were by their fight, they had never expected friendly fire.

The silver-haired Symphogear gunner felt her heart stop. “NO!” Chris screamed. She started towards where the two were located, only to be clipped by a gunshot, this one smashing into her leg. As she fell down, she felt another bullet hit her stomach like one of Hibiki’s punches, causing waves of nauseating pain. 

Dimly, she was aware that someone was running towards her. She lifted her armed gear towards the assailant and fire, only for him to dodge the attack and kick her with superhuman speed and strength. She almost vomited from the blow.

“_ Shluha vokzal’naja _. You’re just a stupid little kid after all.” Voronin said, the jovial tone in his voice replaced with disappointment. “Oh well. You wouldn’t be the first brat I’ve had to put down.” He pointed his rifle at the downed Symphogear user, placing the barrel right against her heart. “Comes with the job, I suppose.”

Before he could fire, however, Chris kicked his feet and stumbled to hers. Voronin’s shot went wild, and she was in retreat. She hurt all over, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. As quickly as she could, she beelined for a trench before Voronin could draw another bead on her.

Voronin grinned. Here he was, lecturing her as the experienced adult, yet he let himself get overconfident. He shrugged. Oh well. Guess it was his turn to find her now. Shouldn’t be too hard; _ he _wasn’t the one wearing so much bright red...

—

“Urgh…” Kirika muttered as she pushed herself up. “Anybody catch that truck’s number.”

Shaking the fog from her head, she quickly tried to gain her bearings. There was a big muscle man, they were brawling, there was suddenly a lot of explosions… Shirabe! Her head whirled around to see the pig-tailed girl starting to pick herself up. But looming over her, his foot lifted to deliver a curbstomp, was the great mass of Darmawan.

“Get away from Shirabe!” Kirika screamed, charging towards Darmawan. Holding Igalima horizontally, the blonde began to spin around, firing the rockets on her pauldrons until she was little more than a whirling, cutting blur of green-and-black. Acting quickly, Darmawan turned from Shirabe to face the threat of ** _Calamity Ring: Tinkerbell_ **, raising his armored fists to block.

The collision provoked a shower of sparks as Igalima repeatedly impacted the gauntlets and with each impact, Darmawan was forced to take a step back. Yet the Indonesian man did not seem worried at all. “You care for her.” He stated, loudly. “Yet you haven’t told her.”

“I tell Shirabe everything!” Kirika angrily retorted.

“I know that isn’t true.” He replied confidently. “After all, you haven’t told her about the suicide letter you still have.”

Kirika abruptly froze, breaking her attack, eyes wide in shock. From where she had pulled herself up to her feet, Shirabe’s head twisted around in alarm. _ ‘Suicide letter?!’ _

“How-” Was all Kirika managed before Darmawan’s fist slammed into her face. The massive Indonesian immediately followed up with a devastating torrent of endless jabs to her midsection.

The sight of her girlfriend getting absolutely pummelled broke Shirabe out of her shock. She could worry about what Darmawan said later. Kirika needed her! In an instant, Shul-Shagana unfolded and hundreds of small saw blades shot away from her twintail compartments in ** _Alpha Style: 100 Samsara_ **.

They smashed into Darmawan from the side, who jerked back at the sudden impacts as much in surprise as in pain. Trying to expand the momentary reprieve, Kirika quickly struck out with Igalima’s base. She felt it impact Darmawan and heard the man grunt but it didn’t seem to actually _ move _him. Still, it bought her enough time to leap back, landing by Shirabe and holding out Igalima defensively.

Kirika thought quickly, pushing through the remaining haze from the recent punches she had received. Even accounting for his build, the resiliency and reflexes he was showing wasn’t just above normal human levels, but even their own. Which meant...

“How is your phonic gain so high?!” Kirika couldn’t keep the incredulity out of her voice.

Darmawan tilted his head in the general direction where Hibiki and Samantha were fighting. “Ask her. She’s the one least affected by the Anti-LiNKER after all.“

‘_ What the hell does Hibiki have anything to do with this?’ _Kirika wondered.

“To be honest, I’d rather be fighting the Gungnir user.“ Darmawan glanced over at Shirabe. “Hmm, fighting… I do wonder… what would your grandfather say if he knew that’s what you were doing these days?” The Indonesian’s gaze shifted over to Kirika. “I’d ask the same of _ your _family, but I already know the answer to that.”

Shirabe blinked in confusion but it was Kirika who caught the implication of the statement. “You… you know about our pasts?”

The corners of Darmawan’s lips quirked upwards in a small smirk. ”Of course. You are our main enemy. We would be remiss not to know you better than you know yourselves!”

Before either of them could reply to that, he charged and the battle was joined once more.

—

Tsubasa had a lot of pride in her swordsmanship, but not so much that she couldn’t admit when she was being outmatched. And at the moment, she could definitely say she was being outmatched. Jwa’s sword was in constant motion, always probing her defenses or trying for a strike. It was so different to Tsubasa’s own dueling style. Rather than focusing on the principles of detail and one-strike-one-kill, Jwa’s style was built on raw speed and constant momentum. Between the unfamiliarity with the style being used against her and the Korean’s higher phonic gain granting her better reflexes, it took almost everything Tsubasa had just to prevent her opponent from landing a blow.

If she was going to seize back momentum in this fight, Tsubasa quickly realized she was going to have to do more than just swing her armed gear. To that end, a storm of blue energy blades fell from the sky towards the two swordswomen like a ** _Thousand Falling Tears_ ** . Forced to choose between taking the blow or avoiding the attack, Jwa chose the latter option, terminating her next strike to jump away. As Tsubasa also leapt away, Ame no Habakiri quickly shifted and grew before she swung it in a ** _Blue Flash_ **, releasing a burst of ball lightning towards Jwa.

The moment she touched down, the Korean immediately leapt again out of the way of the oncoming attack which tore into the ground, kicking up dust and dirt. Tsubasa’s first instinct was to press the attack but she held back, her guard up for a counterattack from Jwa and waited for the dust to clear. Sure enough, when it did the Korean was nowhere to be seen.

Another explosion from the place where Caprice and Maria were fighting drew her attention. Tsubasa turned, intending to assist the Pinkette, until her instincts screamed at her and she ducked instead. Jwa’s swing had been so close to where Tsubasa had been standing that it managed to take the tip off of one of her strands of blue hair.

Tsubasa slashed at Jwa’s legs, but the Korean woman was already falling back. Tsubasa swung around to keep Jwa in her sights, standing back up with Ame no Habakiri held up en-guard. The two women paused for a moment, measuring each other up.

“Why do you want Ogawa dead?” Tsubasa demanded. “What was Sinwon-Up?”

“Ask the fucking coward yourself!” Jwa sneered back. “He’ll give you the answer if his _ clan’s pride _ will let him!” She raised her sword to point it at Tsubasa. “His time will come. For now, I’ll happily do to you what I did to your father.”

Tsubasa took a quick moment to examine Jwa’s sword. She recognized it as a double-edged Chilseonggeom, a ‘Seven-Star Sword’. Straight-edged, usually used by Buddhist practitioners in ceremonies. She noticed the engravings: on one side, constellation patterns on one side alternating between the Seven Stars, the Black Tortoise of the North, and the Vermillion Bird of the South. On the other side was engraved… well, it must be some kind of statement, but Tsubasa couldn’t read Hanja.

“You did not kill my father.” Tsubasa finally replied.

Jwa smirked. “I mean your _ biological _father.” Crossing the distance between herself and Tsubasa in an instant, she swung her sword and locked blades with the blue-haired adaptor. “You should just let me kill you.” Jwa whispered. “It’d be doing you a favor. You’d end up just like him, after all.”

_ Bullshit _. “Never.” Tsubasa hissed. “I’ll never be like him.” She jumped back from the blade lock and repositioned herself, ready for the next attack. But Jwa just stood there, looking at Tsubasa with a steely gaze.

“That’s what all the Kazanari heirs have said, when they first inherit their family’s fortune.” Jwa’s glower intensified as she spoke. “It all ends the same way.”

“Is that how you feel?” Tsubasa asked, intending for the question to be rhetorical.

To her surprise, Jwa snorted. “I don’t have room for feelings. I am my family’s vengeance, thus I am nothing but their sword.”

_ That _ statement took Tsubasa by surprise, her mind racing back to words she herself spoke two years ago. _ ‘I never shed tears. I am a warrior, thus I am nothing but a sword.’ _

Sensing that she had brought herself a window of opportunity, Jwa abruptly charged. Tsubasa responded quickly, a compartment in her boot opening and ejecting a single lone knife which she caught and threw with unerring accuracy. Jwa abruptly jerked to a halt as the knife crashed down on her moon-casted shadow, entrapping it in a ** _Shadow Weaving_ **.

“You think you can beat me with such an old trick?!” Jwa growled. Her suit promptly lit up, glowing with an intensity bright enough to burn away her shadow. With nothing to pin, the Shadow Weave dissolved in time for the Korean to twist out of the way of Tsubasa’s follow-up blow. Tsubasa tried to turn and swing again, but she only just managed to bring up her sword in time to block another strike from Jwa and once again she found herself being pressed back by an endless continuity of strikes.

—

Miku swerved, dodged, and weaved the best she could. The maneuver training with her gear was paying off; Gowon was having difficulty tracking her. Now if only she had more practice _ firing _while moving at this speed. She found that keeping the speed necessary to stay ahead of the machine gun fire was making it difficult for her to accurately fire back.

Worse, the African gunner had positioned himself so that she’d have to expose herself to significant fire if she wanted to help Hibiki against Samantha. He was clearly trying to keep her away. Miku quickly ran through her options: switching over to Liuxing form to use Purgatory would slow her down, so that was out. Accurately shooting lasers at this speed was difficult enough, so throwing attacks like Reminiscence would just be even worse.

There was only one thing for it. She unfolded her armed gear and turned directly for Gowon, holding the metal in front of her as an impromptu shield. The first couple of rounds just pinged off like any other bullets but then it seemed like instead the strength of impacts from the successive fire seemed to be building as she heard actual dents start to form on the Shenshoujing’s front. Was this some kind of phonic gain trick? Still, if she moved quickly enough, she could close the distance and…

It was just a moment too late that Miku realized the flaw in her plan: with the Shenshoujing blocking her from seeing Gowon, she couldn’t gauge precisely how close she had gotten to him. On the other hand, the Congolese man could gauge his distance from _ her _just fine. No sooner had this occurred to her did the gunfire stop, and the next instant she felt something impact the ersatz-shield hard enough to toss her onto her back.

Miku pushed herself back up as Gowon loomed above her, his machine gun raised like an enormous club. She rolled away just as he brought it down, smashing into the ground with enough force to partly embed it in the ground and sending small cracks radiating a short distance out. With a heave, he pulled it right back out, the weapon’s stock visibly dented.

Miku shot back up with her Ionocraft and lashed out with the Shenshoujing’s cable, wailing at Gowon continuously in a ** _Reverberation_ **. To her surprise, Gowon effortlessly powered through the lashing cables, even though some of them tore at his face and even broke through his strangely resilient armored suit to draw some blood. The calm look he had in his eyes earlier was replaced with something that seemed more wild and haunting as he swung his machine gun around to strike Miku from the side. The blow interrupted her attacks and threw her away from him a little bit but this time she was able to right herself and speed away, beelining for the nearby wreckage of one of the attack VTOLs.

Gowon’s machine gun resumed its chattering a few moments later and again Miku unfolded and held her armed gear back as a shield as she covered the last few meters to swing around the nose of the crashed machine. The gunfire continued for a few more moments, smacking off the remains of the armored hull behind her before petering out.

Miku paused to catch her breath only to realize she had just put them in something of a stalemate. She couldn’t pop out or Gowon would shoot her. Equally, he couldn’t come around or she’d shoot him. She could unfold Liuxing, release Purgatory’s mirrors. But without line of sight she’d be firing blindly. Flying away while keeping the wreckage behind her would just leave the battle. And she couldn’t help the others from here. 

No wait, she realized, there _ was _one more option. She only had practiced with it a little, but on open terrain like this it shouldn’t be a problem Particularly if she gave it some assistance by getting him distracted a little. And hey, it’s something Hibiki would do. She could hear Gowon approaching the wreckage, the gunner didn’t walk very softly, but he stopped a fair distance away. Presumably keeping any escape routes in sight.

“Why do _ you _think the Symphogears are evil?” She called out.

There was a moment's pause.

“The Custodian’s were false gods, and like all false gods, they created idols as symbols of their power.” He said. “That is the true nature of the Symphogear. At the same time, heretical technology elevated individuals like yourself into new false gods. The one true God cannot abide by that. It is a gross injustice.”

As he talked, Miku activated the Shenshoujing’s most notable feature. To any outside observer, it was as if she simply vanished from sight with a ** _Wizard’s Stealth_ **. But that was not to say she wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying.

Slowly, so as to keep the noise from her Ionocraft below hearing range, Miku drifted back out around the wreckage and carefully approached Gowon. The man was slowly scanning the edges of the wreckage, his gun drifting with his view. Modulating her voice so as to sound like she was still calling out from the other side of the wreckage, Miku replied. “And you believe that to kill me and my friends, who have committed no crimes, is justice?”

“I would be careful before claiming you have committed _ no _crimes.” Gowon calmly stated back. It was strange how calm he seemed when not in a melee. “But even if man’s law refuses to try you, you cannot escape God’s law.”

Miku raised her fan as she drifted closer, recalling how he had resisted Reverberation. Get as close as she can, deliver as big a blast as she can. Maybe Lamentation at close range would be enough to bring him down.

But Gowon continued. “Human notions of good and evil do not apply to God. I am merely an instrument of Divine Providence.”

Miku paused. That… that sounded far too familiar for comfort. “Shem-Ha also justified herself that way.” Her free hand tightened into a fist. “Proclaiming your actions are ‘God’s will’ doesn’t make them right!”

“Shem-Ha was nothing more than a false God. Our ultimate triumph will prove God is on my side.” Gowon said, his machine gun’s barrel drifting to a halt to point right at Miku as he spoke. “As does the folly of His enemies in the face of His beneficence.”

Miku’s eyes widened as she realized that in her anger she had forgotten to modulate her voice with that last sentence. She snapped her armed gear up, unfolding it as Gowon opened fire. As before, the first few rounds simply bounced off but then the next rounds tore into the fan with increasing force. It was only a matter of time before it tore through completely and then, quite probably, through her.

“LEAVE. HER. ALONE!” Hibiki screamed, lunging forward with Gungnir pulled back, both her arm and armor rockets firing. And as she powered towards Gowon, she sang.

“_It's fine, totally fine (Fine, totally fine)   
__Our hearts echo together   
__Even the courage not to cry or the [courage] to stand  
__Can become love worth crying over.” _

Ceasing fire, Gowon spun around to meet the new incoming threat. Flipping the machine gun around he again swung it like a club. It smashed into Hibiki’s fist… and Gungnir just kept going, tearing through the gun like it wasn’t there and smashing square into the man’s chest, catapulting him away.

“Hibiki...” Miku sighed with relief. Hibiki smiled back at her… and then staggered forward as a trio of rounds stitched their way across her back. Chasing after the Gungnir girl, Samantha advanced on them, her automatic rifle raised. With a quick adjustment, she fired another round from her underbarrel grenade launcher.

Pushing more power than usual into her Ionocraft modules, Miku grabbed Hibiki and shot upward, leaving the grenade to detonate behind them. Samantha’s gunfire chased upward after them, but only one round managed to graze one of the modules.

Hibiki tapped Miku’s arm. The black haired girl looked down at the gesture, her eyes filled with a moment’s uncertainty, but Hibiki just smiled back. Miku nodded, returning the smile and ended the unspoken exchange by placing a kiss on her girlfriend’s forehead before letting Hibiki go.

Pointing herself straight down, Hibiki fired the Gungnir gauntlet’s rocket as shot towards the ground at Samantha again, from an even greater height then with her attack at the start of the battle. Realizing what was coming, the Lieutenant began to run and as Hibiki smashed into the ground with ** _Earth Penetrating Power_ **. The White Noise leader jumped, just barely avoiding the ground surrounding the landing site rising up from the force of the landing.

Samantha twirled around in mid-air, landing to face Hibiki who stood up and adopted a fighting stance, ready to block the next attack. As Samantha levelled her rifle, Hibiki sang the next line in her song.

“_When was it given to me? (When was it given to me?)   
__This warm and precious thing (This warm and important thing)   
__It told me not to lose, it told me it had received it   
__This most loved love call which burns my chest” _

Samantha abruptly stiffened at those lyrics. Another moment later her pupils shrank into pinpricks and pure rage overtook a face that up until now had been a mask of steady professionalism.

“** _SHUT-UP!_ **” She roared, dropping her rifle to let it hang limply from its sling as she charged forward. Hibiki blinked in surprise at the unexpected move but her face shifted into astonishment as the Lieutenant tore a grenade off her belt when she closed to within just a few feet, immediately ejecting the pin and handle. Hibiki jabbed at her, but in one smooth motion, Samantha jerked aside past the punch and shoved the hand holding the grenade straight into Hibiki’s face just in time for it to detonate, abruptly cutting the song short.

“Hibiki!” Miku shouted in horror from her position in the sky, rushing to now descend back down towards the dust kicked up by the explosion. Her heart caught in her throat as the smoke cleared and she saw Hibiki laying on her back, gazing up stunned, her hair a complete mess… and with a trickle of blood streaming down her face.

Standing over her, Samantha was still in the position she was in when the grenade detonated, her hand thrust out and bleeding. “Don’t you fucking ** _dare _ ** sing about ‘warm and precious things’!” She snarled. “ _ Not after you all took that from me! _”

Her foot lashed out to kick Hibiki, but the Gungnir wielder recovered just in time to roll back onto her feet and swing at Samantha, who ducked away.

“It’s fine!” Hibiki shouted up at Miku, although she didn’t take her eyes off of her opponent when she was this close to her. “It’s only a scratch!”

Her outburst done, Samantha’s mask of professionalism reasserted itself. Ignoring her bleeding hand, she gripped her rifle again. “Come on then.” She growled. “I don’t have all day.”

—

With a hiss, the transport doors sealed. Their engines whining, the VTOL transports hauled themselves into the air and climbed away from the crater occupied by the Château de Tiffauges. Their path traced first northeast and then circled out to sea, staying well away from the fight between the White Noise Squad and Symphogear adaptors.

Between their stealth capabilities and the fact the JASDF was still reorganizing from the initial mauling when their air patrols were attacked by unknown fighters, the transports were left wholly unmolested as they travelled out over the Pacific Ocean. A mere two black dots against the night sky.

_ “This is Red Unit. Objective Set Alpha-Sierra-Papa is secure and egressing from the AO. All White Units, egress to Objective Charlie-Delta-Tango and hold.“ _

—

_ “This is Red Unit. Objective Set Alpha-Sierra-Papa is secure and egressing from the AO. Whisky-November One, you are ordered to egress your squad from the AO. Confirm.” _

Samantha scowled at the mechanical voice in her ear as she ducked under the swing from Hibiki and drove an elbow into the chestnut haired girl’s back before spinning around to fire a burst from her rifle. “We can still do this! We can still take one of them down!”

Hibiki backhanded all three rounds away as she spun about and then launched herself forward, Gungnir’s pistons drawing it back.

_ “Negative.” _ Red Unit’s dispassionate voice reiterated. _ “Withdraw your squad from the AO. This is a direct order. Disciplinary action will be taken should you not comply.” _

“Fine! Whiskey-November Confirms!” Samantha bit out leaping clean over Hibiki at the very last moment, firing another burst at Miku to drive her back. She chimed into her comms. “SQUAD, WE’RE WITHDRAWING! CAPRICE, SMOKE ‘EM!”

“Oh no you don’t!” Maria shouted. But Caprice tossed out another series of small black balls toward the charging pinkette. Expecting more mico-explosives, Maria threw herself aside. But instead of exploding, thick smoke boiled out of them, mixing with the Anti-LiNKER gas to produce a seemingly impenetrable red mist. Turning, Caprice detached canisters from her waist and tossed them about. These produced even more smoke until the whole battlefield was blanketed and the adaptors could barely even see their own hands.

Deprived of any vision, most of the adaptors froze, their guard still up and their other senses and instincts scanning for any sign of another attack. Hibiki, not willing to wait, primed Gungnir and punched up, creating a blast of wind that dispersed the smoke in every direction and instantly cleared their view.

The White Noise Squad was gone.

“Is everyone okay?” Maria called out as she lowered Airgetlamh. The adaptors all chorused back their affirmatives. All of them except for Chris that is.

“Dammit!” The gunner shouted instead as she pulled herself out of one of the craters she had been ducking between in her running battle with Voronin, tears stinging the corner of her eyes as she punched at the ground in frustration. “That fucker! Who the hell does he think he is?!”

“Kiri-chan….” Shirabe glanced over at the blonde. “Are… are you sure you’re fine.”

Kirika stared off in the direction of the Château for a few moments before she finally replied. “I… don’t know.”

“Hibiki! Are you alright?!” Miku flew down over next to her girlfriend, her face a mask of worry.

“It’s fine. It’s totally fine!” Hibiki insisted, smiling reassuringly and with a slight blush as Miku closed in to examine the bleeding on her face. “It’s just a scratch.”

“It’s not!” Miku voice became one of matronly concern. “You’re all cut up!”

“Ah, Miku! That stings!”

Maria just looked quietly at the spot Caprice last stood at, lost in thought.

Shaking her head, Tsubasa called up headquarters. “HQ, this is Tsubasa… the enemy has retreated.”

“We read you Tsubasa. It’s not just that ‘White Noise Squad’.” Ogawa said. “The entire enemy perimeter is contracting. Their soldiers are falling back into the Château. The Self-Defense Force intends to tighten their own perimeter as well and move up to the crater lip.”

“Does that mean we should continue with our current mission?” Hibiki asked as Miku gently wiped some of the blood away.

There was a few moments pause, then Ogawa replied. “No. Fall back out of the Anti-LiNKER cloud. We’ll send a team out with some neutralizer, get you patched up, and make a new plan with the Self-Defence Force from there.”

—  
  
Samantha was able to feel when she crossed beyond the proximity threshold from the Symphogear adaptors. It was a new experience for her, feeling all that power leave her like someone deflating a balloon. If she were in poorer shape, she’d probably feel absolutely exhausted right now. As it was, she felt mildly winded.  
  
Sliding around the field of view of a street camera, she slipped into an alleyway. If the street plan she memorized was correct the fire escape ladder she was supposed to use was… there.  
  
Clambering up the ladder, she was unsurprised to find Jwa and Voronin waiting for her on the building roof, the former guarding the top of the ladder, the latter keeping a surreptitious look-out. The person she was surprised to see already there was Caprice. The Italian was sitting somewhat carelessly on the edge of the roof closest to the Château de Tiffauges.  
  
“Someone is going to see you there, corporal.” Samantha said as she pulled herself up to the roof and moved to lean against an air vent. She began to examine her wounded hand.  
  
Caprice waved her hand in Voronin’s direction. “The Sergeant says the streets are clear and I’m sure he’ll be able to alert me if anyone else shows.” She gave the Lieutenant an eager look. “So? Can I blow ‘em?”  
  
“Not until I give the order.” Samantha said, paying no mind to the subsequent pout. Even through the additional resilience of her suit, the grenade had still managed to cut her hand up. It was nothing serious, but she had some bandages in a stash she had prepared for more serious wounds then this that would do the trick.  
  
“Gowon’s turned into the alley.” Voronin commented. Indeed, a few seconds later the ladder reverberated again with the clanking of combat boots. The Congolese man hauled himself into view a dozen seconds later. He quickly glanced around at everyone else before before moving to sit against the same air vent Samantha was leaning on.  
  
She nudged him with her foot to get his attention. “You alright? I saw the Tachibana bitch break through your gun with that blow. Sent you flying.”  
  
“It hurt.” His voice was calm. “But it isn’t anything I haven’t experienced before. Now please, I want to pray.”  
  
They fell silent for a few more minutes, just resting. After a while, Samantha frowned. Darmawan was the slowest and least agile of them, but even he should have been here by now.  
  
“Darmawan is in the alley.” Voronin finally said, but the sniper frowned. “He seems a bit worse for the wear then he should be.”  
  
Indeed, it sounded like Darmawan had some unusual difficulty getting up the ladder.  
  
“You alright?” Jwa asked, eyeing the man with some concern as he appeared over the top.  
  
“Got a nasty fucking headache about a minute ago.” The Indonesian muscle builder muttered, pulling himself up to the rooftop before massaging his temples. “Don’t know why.”  
  
Samantha frowned. “Were you releasing all your stored phonic gain?”  
  
Damawan shook his head. “No.”  
  
“Then that’s why. It’s backlash from phonic gain build-up.” Samantha concluded.  
  
The Indonesian glanced up. “I thought the Apegears eliminated the stress from phonic gain?”  
  
“You skimmed the manual, didn’t you?” She glanced around. “Does anyone here want to explain to Darmawan how the Apegears actually function?”  
  
Caprice’s hand shot up like she was in a school yard, but Gowon just went ahead and reeled it off from memory. “‘Users should be aware that while the APGED does eliminate the need to synchronize with a relic and the strain of using phonic gain absorbed from a Symphogear adaptor, it does not eliminate the strain from excess amounts of phonic gain. Though the physical strain for an APGED user to achieve a given level of phonic gain may be less than that for a Symphogear adaptor, the stress problem is not eliminated entirely. Pale Unit simulations suggests the effects will be most notable in the early encounters between a APGED user and an active Symphogear user, before the body of the APGED is able to physically adjust. Additionally, the greatest backlash is likely to be experienced when the APGED loses a Symphogear’s Aufwachen Waveform without the user dispensing with any phonic gain above ordinary background levels, regardless of whether the loss of the waveform is because of the adaptor deactivating their symphogear or the symphogear passing beyond the APGED’s effective proximity. Care should be taken to reduce phonic gain levels when retaining current level poses undo risk of self-harm.’” He paused and glanced at Darmawan. “It was on page twelve.”  
  
“There you go.” Samantha said, ignoring Caprice’s huff at being upstaged. “Your Apegear implant reduces the strain from phonic gain compared to a Symphogear, but you still gotta deal with strain. Especially if you don’t get rid of your excess phonic gain when leaving the AO.”  
  
Samantha’s nanosuit link crackled. “_This is Red Unit. Whiskey-November-One, all capable White Unit battlegroups have fallen back on Charlie-Delta-Tango. Liquidate the objective. Confirm._”  
  
“Whisky-November-One Actual confirms. Liquidating Charlie-Delta-Tango.” Samantha replied. “Caprice, time to end the Château’s song.”  
  
With a whoop of excitement, Caprice shot to her feet and began to tap at the control pad on her arm. She paused after a few seconds and glanced over her shoulder with a wicked grin. “Ready?”  
  
She gave them another moment to brace themselves then pressed one last button.  
  
The question of why the dismantlement of the Château de Tiffauges was so slow was a recurring one in the Japanese media. The reply was always the same: the network of heretical and alchemical technology made it too dangerous. Demolition had to be done manually, piece-by-piece, and only after a given piece had been determined to be safe for destruction. Obviously, this made the process painfully slow.  
  
Thanks to the information provided by Professor-108, this was not an issue for the Four Horsemen. They knew precisely where they should place satchel charges for the desired effect without causing too much excess damage.  
  
The Château vanished in a fireball, the entire night sky momentarily lighting up. Even at this distance, the ground shock was the equivalent of a modest tremor and when the shockwave hit, the noise was deafening. The debris cloud mushroomed skyward, quickly distorting itself. Samantha knew that beneath it, all that remained of the Château de Tiffauges would be an enormous pile of twisted metal and rubble. There would be nothing left of either the staples that had retreated inside of it nor of what they were doing there.  
  
And as a bonus, all of the remaining alchemical technology within was reduced to crushed, melted slag.  
  
“Disperse.” Samantha ordered her squad. “Lie low for the standard security period and rendezvous at the safehouse in twenty-four hours.”

\----

The adaptors had been a fair bit closer to the Château, awaiting the JSDF and SONG team, when it exploded. At that distance the shockwave had practically bowled them over. When they joined with the JSDF a few hours later to assault the, now somewhat enlarged, Château crater the result had been anticlimactic. All of the enemy soldiers that had not managed to retreat within the Château before it exploded had taken their own lives.  
  
In the end, all the adaptors had to show for their first real fight with the Four Horsemen was an annihilated relic and a pile of dead bodies. The only comfort they could take was that none of the deaths were their own fault: all of the soldiers had been killed by their own side. And they might not even have been as human as their biological appearance suggested based on their behavior during the fight.  
  
On the helicopter back to headquarters, Maria slept with only minimal trouble. The same couldn’t be said for Kirika. The blonde was absently staring out the window, Shirabe resting her head in slumber against her shoulder. Her thoughts turning over what the Indonesian man had said.  
  
“Kiri-chan?” Shirabe asked suddenly.  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“Can you sleep?”  
  
Kirika sighed. “No.”  
  
“Me neither.” Shirabe’s eyes slid open, but she did not move from her position. “I keep thinking about what he said. About my grandfather.”  
  
“Do you really think what he said was true?” Kirika wondered. “Do they really know about our past?”  
  
Shirabe was silent for a few moments. “I don’t know.” She finally replied. “They seemed to know a lot about us, and Ogawa told us they think they have the relic of Sefer HaChaim, which is supposed to have a record of everything. But from what they say, they seem to dislike relics and want them all destroyed. So why would they use one?”  
  
The conversation lapsed at that as both adaptors continued to mull over the issue. For awhile, the only sound was the steady drone of the helicopter engines.  
  
“Kiri-chan?” Shirabe finally asked.  
  
“Hm?” Kirika felt Shirabe’s left hand lay on her own right one and moved to hold it.  
  
When Shirabe spoke again, her voice was filled with a level of distress Kirika hadn’t heard since the Frontier Incident. “W-when he asked you whether you had told me about a suicide note, what did he mean?”  
  
Kirika’s blood froze. She had almost forgotten the man they fought had mentioned that.  
  
“Shirabe, I-” She couldn’t figure out what to say next. Words failed her, an unusual situation for someone as talkative as Kirika. How was she supposed to explain the suicide note she had written back when she thought Finé was going to obliterate her soul? How was she supposed to explain why she still kept it around? How was she supposed to explain those moments when she felt so worthless compared to everyone else that she would contemplate whether it would be better if she was dead? How was she supposed to explain the reason for that feeling when Shirabe seemed so untroubled by her own lack of a past?  
  
After a long silence where Kirika just sat there, staring at the floor, feeling unable to meet the eyes of her girlfriend in shame, Shirabe finally sighed. Gently, she sat up and turned to Kirika, although she didn’t break their handhold as she did so. “Okay, Kiri-chan, it’s okay. I can wait until you find the words to tell me. But until then...”  
  
With her free hand Shirabe reached up and cupped Kirika’s chin, gently turning her girlfriend’s head so their eyes had to meet. “... please promise me that you won’t leave me. Please promise me that you won’t do something… something that rash. And please promise me that you will tell me when you’re ready.”  
  
Kirika couldn’t remember the last time she had seen Shirabe so close to tears before. How else could she respond to that? Reaching up, she took Shirabe’s free hand and then clasped both of them together. “I promise. From the bottom of my heart.”  
  
Then she leaned in and sealed her promise with a kiss. It held for a moment, two moments, thre-  
  
The abrupt rocking of the helicopter as it began to descend for landing broke them apart. It also roused Maria from her slumber. Stretching her arms, the redhead lolled her head side-side as she sat up, trying to work out the knots in her neck. “These seats… aren’t very good for sleeping in.” She looked over at Kirika and Shirabe. They were still sitting side-by-side but were facing forward again and returned to only holding a single hand, a light blush on their faces. “Is everything alright?”  
  
“Yes!” Kirika said quickly. “Everything is fine!” She hoped the strain in her smile wasn’t too obvious.  
  
—  
  
“The Self-Defense Forces have recovered the wreckage of both the attack VTOLs and a few air superiority fighters they managed to shoot down during the air battle. As they have only just been recovered, all they have confirmed so far is that the aircraft were indeed unmanned and their designs do not match any known aircraft either in service or development.” Tomasoto concluded her part of the debrief. “They have agreed to keep us apprised of what they learn.”  
  
“What about those soldiers?” Shirabe asked.  
  
“Yeah!” Chris jumped in. ”There’s no way those guys were human!”  
  
“The initial autopsies from the Self-Defence Forces say otherwise, but there hasn’t been time for more detailed testing on the bodies they managed to recover.” Tomasoto admitted. “Again, the Self-Defence Force has agreed to inform us when they learn more.”  
  
She nodded to Fujitaka, who cleared away the images of aircraft wreckage and recovered corpses of the Four Horsemen’s soldiers.  
  
“We have identified all the members of the so-called ‘White Noise Squad’.” He began.  
  
First, the photographs of Samantha and Voronin the adaptors had already seen appeared on the screen.  
  
“You are already familiar with Lieutenant Samantha Acampora and Sargent Kir Voronin.” Fujitaka quickly noted. Their images shrunk down and folded into a row at the top of the screen. Replacing it was an image of Caprice. Whereas Samantha and Voronin’s pictures had them appearing at least reasonably professional, the blonde wasn’t making any effort to do so in her own image. Instead she was giving the camera a wide grin with a flirtatious wink.  
  
“Corporal Caprice Calcaterra.” Fujitaka said. “A former bomb maker for the FAI, an Italian anarchist terrorist group. Her skills with explosives were described as ‘immaculate’ by Italian reports. She was arrested a year ago and was granted a plea deal in which she testified against other members of her cell in exchange for being forced to serve in the army as a demolitions expert, mainly working in bomb defusal, instead of prison. She was reportedly disgruntled with the work, saying it was boring. She disappeared around two months ago.” His voice became dry. “The Italian Government already has a warrant out for her arrest for violation of parole.”  
  
Caprice’s image shrunk, slid up, and slotted into the row up top after Voronin. It was replaced by Darmawan.  
  
“Timoty Darmawan.” Fujitaka continued. “A Indonesian bodyguard-for-hire. Reportedly obsessed with strength training and building muscle. He has been missing for three months. In terms of raw physical power, he is considered the world’s strongest man, but he never showed much aptitude for combat.” Fujitaka frowned. “Until today, that is.”  
  
Darmawan’s image slid upwards to join the other three of the White Noise Squad. Gowon’s took its place. Unlike the others, Gowon was visibly younger in his picture and seemed to blankly stare into the camera.  
  
“Mwikiza Gowon.” Fujitaka identified. “A former child soldier from the Congo who appears to have earned quite a reputation. Opponents of the militia he was in referred to him as ‘the Monster’ and were uniformly quite terrified of him. About two years ago, he fell in with an American Evangelical Christian mission and appeared to have abandoned combat for a life of religious devotion. According to the missionaries, they said there were clear indications he had suffered considerable abuse during his time in the militia.”  
  
At that, Chris pulled her attention away from giving Voronin’s image the evil eye. She examined the younger Gowon’s face closely. There was something oddly familiar about his gaze. Then it clicked: _she_ had looked like that once, when the UN rescue team had found her in the hands of people who didn’t even _pretend _to care like Finé did.  
  
Except Gowon’s thousand yard stare looked worse, so much worse.  
  
Unaware of Chris’s epiphany, Fujitaka carried on. “He disappeared about a month ago. Unlike the others, he appears to have discussed his reasons for leaving. The missionaries that had been taking care of him say he came to them before he left. He claimed to have received an epiphany from God, that he had something to do, and that he wouldn’t be coming back.”  
  
Gowon’s image slid away to the top and the last member of the White Noise Squad appeared in its place. Jwa Ji-Eun’s image looked just as professional as Darmawan, Voronin, and Samantha’s.  
  
“Jwa Ji-Eun.” Fujitaka said. “A Korean spy-for-hire with a reputation for ruthlessness. She’s worked as an assassin and double-agent on both sides of the thirty-eighth parallel.” He gave a side glance at Ogawa. “Otherwise, we don’t have much information about her.”  
  
Tsubasa also glanced over at Ogawa. The acting-commander of SONG had adopted an extremely inscrutable expression. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.  
  
“Alright.” Chris said. “So that’s who these guys are. Now what I want to know is how the hell were they able to use phonic gain?”  
  
Elfnein spoke up at that. “We don’t know for sure, but I have an idea.”  
  
The pictures vanished and in their place appeared two sets of bar graphs. The one on the left was labelled “adaptors” and the one on the right was labelled “WNS”, the names of each individual in the two groups immediately under their respective bar. The bars for the adaptors varied considerably from each name, with Hibiki’s as the highest and Kirika and Shirabe as the lowest. The bars for the White Noise Squad members, on the other hand, were each the same size.  
  
“These were the maximum levels of phonic gain we tracked during the battle on both sides.” Elfnein continued.  
  
Hibiki immediately identified the most obvious. “All of the White Noise are identical.”  
  
Elfnein nodded. “Yes. I noticed it immediately, but by itself that didn’t tell me much. What else?”  
  
The adaptors continued to scrutinize the two graphs for a little while. “They’re higher than us.” Miku finally said. “No… wait, the graph for Hibiki is a perfect match.”  
  
“Good insight.” Elfnein replied. “But I think it’s less that Hibiki managed to match them, and more of them managing to match her. The biggest clue for me, however, is that matching her was the most they ever managed. They never exceeded Hibiki’s phonic gain levels.”  
  
“So…” Kirika was scratching her head. “That means what, exactly?” She paused for a moment. “I mean, besides that they can never outdo Hibiki.”  
  
“It’s speculative, but I think that’s because it’s as much as they _could _get.” Elfnein elaborated. “I mean, if you had the choice between taking 200 yen or 2000 yen, it’s not really a choice is it?”  
  
“You’re saying they were stealing the phonic gain Tachibana was emitting and using it themselves, not generating it.” Tsubasa said in realization. “That would explain why you didn’t detect any signal that would indicate something generating phonic gain generation. The thing generating the phonic gain was us.”  
  
The other adaptors eyes all widened. “You can do that?” Maria asked.  
  
“Apparently so.” Elfnein nodded. “The parts of the Symphogear that deal with transmitting phonic gain to the armor are purely high technological and are quite replicable. Ordinarily, such components would be useless without a relic to synchronize with and generate the phonic gain but, if I’m right, this new device basically side steps that issue so long as its user is close enough to an active symphogear adaptor.”  
  
“Do you think you could create such a device?” Ogawa asked.  
  
“Well, there are two challenges.” Elfnein furrowed her brow in thought. “First, I’d have to figure out how they capture ambient phonic gain. The second is how they bypass the need for relic armor and transmit it directly to the body. The lack of any relic, alchemical, or outer physics signatures suggests it’s likely high technology in both cases, so we shouldn’t have much problems replicating it if we figure that out. Perhaps the capture parts are based on similar technology to what we use to detect phonic gain? If I had the parts from the device to study, or better yet a blueprint, I could say for sure rather quickly. Otherwise, it may take months of research and reviewing our equipment before I could even give you an estimate on production time. Of course, if I’m right, the resulting device would still be unable to do things like produce an armed gear or use special abilities. We’d just be looking at improvements in the body of a user’s physical capabilities.”  
  
“Well, we’ve seen the Four Horsemen’s solution to that problem.” Fujitaka noted. “They have recruited some of the most capable human beings on the planet. I’d hate to face any one of these people even if they _didn’t _have the same level of physical capabilities as a Symphogear adaptor with an activated gear. If the data we gathered from the battle is correct, they can even channel their phonic gain into the mundane weapons they used, which is why they were so much more effective and durable than the same weapons used by the regular soldiers.”  
  
“I wouldn’t characterize that sword Jwa used as a mundane weapon.” Tsubasa observed. “At least no more so than my grandfather’s Ame no Murakumo. Speaking of Jwa...” She turned sharply to look at Ogawa. “Ogawa, what _else _do you know about her?”  
  
Ogawa blinked then gave a sad smile that didn’t seem to reach his tired eyes. “So you noticed, huh?”  
  
“That, and she outright told me.” Tsubasa added, remembering what she said. “She mentioned something called Sinwon-Up. What is that?”  
  
“My clan’s greatest shame.” Ogawa sighed. “We… don’t like to talk about it with outsiders. It isn’t something we take pride in.”  
  
“To hell with pride, we’re apparently having to deal with this bitch because of it!” Chris snapped. ”Come on, spill it.”  
  
Ogawa sighed again, rubbing his temple. “I suppose so. I was hoping to hear from my brother that he got approval from the elders to cooperate, but according to him, they’ve been dragging their feet. With this confirmation that it is the Jwa, I’m sure even they will come around.”  
  
The adaptors wanted to almost lean forward in anticipation. Even the bridge staff stopped working at their computers and turned to listen.  
  
“Today, Sinwon-Up is a small town in Korea, lying just north of the Thirty-Eighth Parallel.” Ogawa began. “Back then, it wasn’t a town or even a village. More like a hamlet. The Jwa family lived there. The family considered themselves scholars in the Confucian tradition, and they used their knowledge to serve the locals as teachers and doctors and to dispense advice on all sorts of matters. They weren’t politicians or anything like that, but they were held in high esteem by the community.”  
  
“One day, in nineteen-thirty-four, some Korean nationalists who opposed the Japanese control over their country came to the head of the Jwa family and asked for refuge. We don’t know whether the Jwa family’s head was actually sympathetic to the Korean independence movement or whether he allowed them to stay out of pity for the condition they were in. We don’t even know whether he was even aware that they were Korean nationalists when he first took them in.”  
  
Ogawa sighed sadly. “An Imperial Army unit assigned to hunt down the nationalists found out. The commander of the unit was my great-great-great-uncle.” Ogawa suddenly looked down. The adaptors abruptly realized that he couldn’t me their eyes. “When the Jwa family head tried to plead for mercy on behalf of the nationalists, he ordered the entire family massacred.”  
  
Maria and Miku gasped. Kirika and Shirabe’s mouths fell open in surprise. Even Tsubasa looked taken aback for a moment. She had never considered that the Ogawa family might have had someone like that. But then, her own family had her grandfather after all...  
  
_‘According to Jwa, you’ll wind up exactly the same._’ A nasty little voice whispered at her. She wanted to scowl at it. _‘Never.’_ Tsubasa thought back. She’d rather die than wind up like that old monster.  
  
“Only two of the Jwa’s family children managed to escape the massacre.” Ogawa continued. “And they managed to do so with the family treasure: the _Yeonggwangchamsageum_ or Evil-Slicing Blade of the Dragon's Light. It was a gift to the family by Buddhist monks whom they had assisted in medieval times.”  
  
Tsubasa thought of the sword Ji-Eun had used.  
  
“What happened next is less clear but it appears that the two children swore some sort of oath of vengeance upon the Ogawa family.“ Ogawa concluded. “They have passed down this vendetta through the generations and have sought work as assassins and spies in order to obtain the skills to carry it out. Our clan has been effectively at war with them ever since.”  
  
“So, Ji-Eun’s personal reason is to fulfill her family’s vendetta against Ogawa.” Hibiki muttered.  
  
Ogawa nodded. “Though they try to kill us whenever we meet, Jwa family members have only ever used the _Yeonggwanggeum_ when specifically on missions that they know will see them encounter at least one of my clan. What’s more, for a family member to carry the _Yeonggwanggeum_, they must have permission from both the northern and southern branches of the Jwa family. If Ji-Eun is wielding it, then the Jwa family have likely allied themselves with the Four Horsemen to enact their vendetta against my family.”  
  
“Allied?” Kirika sounded sick. “You mean like, they help the Four Horsemen kill us, and in return the Four Horsemen help the Jwa kill your family.”  
  
Ogawa just nodded.  
  
“Oh, great.” Chris groaned. “So in addition to freaky fanatical military types, we also have to fight… Korean ninjas? Is there a specific term for a Korean ninja?”  
  
Tsubasa remained silent, simply recalling the words Jwa said to her that sounded so similar to what she had once said to Ogawa over two years ago.  
  
“Regardless, it is simply another challenge we will have to deal with.” Ogawa said. “And we won’t be alone in it. Like I said, this news should convince my clan to offer active support. And speaking of challenges,” He looked at Elfnein. “What can you tell us about the new formula of Anti-LiNKER they used?”  
  
“From the samples I extracted during the medical exam, it’s superior to Dr Ver’s formula in practically every way.” Elfnein said, bringing up comparative pictures of each variant of the chemical compound. Even with no knowledge of chemistry, the difference in complexity and sophistication between the more and less potent formulas was quite stark. “It’s more potent, longer lasting, faster acting, and heavier than air, so it is more persistent in a given region. Our current formula of neutralizer is barely able to flush it from your bodies.”  
  
“I was wondering why the gas didn’t seem to be rising.” Maria observed.  
  
“It was a big hindrance, having to drop combinations.“ Tsubasa ainoted. “The loss of Amalgam in particular cost us what was probably a key advantage. It seems like it would work best based on what you said about the White Noise’s own… copy-gear, maybe?” She frowned. “We need a good name for it.”  
  
Chris waved her hand dismissively. “We can figure that out later. Better question is what can we do to get it back.”  
  
“It won’t be easy.” Elfnein admitted. “Dealing with the Anti-LiNKER somehow is the only viable option. There isn’t much point administering neutralizer if you’re in the gas cloud, since you’d just be immediately exposed again and the quantities of LiNKER, at least of the sort we have, we would need to inject to counteract the effects would probably kill you. What we need isn’t a chemical agonist, which is what LiNKER and Anti-LiNKER are, but a chemical antagonist. Something which blocks Anti-LiNKER from working altogether.” She sighed. “That will… be difficult, particularly against something this potent.”  
  
“Well, with this attack we should be able to free some resources up to work on it, so we should get started on it.” Ogawa said. He knew that such an overt and powerful attack by a hostile, regiment-sized military force in the heart of Japan would spur the Japanese Government to throw the full weight of its own intelligence apparatus behind helping SONG investigate the Four Horsemen. Enlisting American support was also a definite possibility. And if they were real lucky, other countries would join in as well.  
  
Elfnein nodded, already starting to rise to her feet. “Alright, I’ll go over to the lab to-”  
  
She interrupted herself with a massive yawn, reminding everyone as to how late it was.  
  
“Maybe in the morning.” Ogawa revised. “We need to get some sleep. Fujitaka, you still have the night shift?” God knows, he’d have to get some rest before discussing this with the Security Council representatives.  
  
He shrugged. “I was the one scheduled for it.”  
  
Ogawa looked over at the girls. “We’ll arrange some cars to take you home. Get some rest for the weekend, we’ll handle things here.”  
  
—  
  
Ogawa turned in just thirty minutes later, determined to get some sleep. It seemed like he had only just drifted off when he was abruptly awoken again by the intercom to his room from the bridge ringing. The abrupt awakening left him uncharacteristically disoriented at first until he squinted over at the clock and groaned. He had barely begun to enter deep sleep. Swinging around, he managed to find the reply button.  
  
“Acting-Commander Ogawa.” He managed to blurble out. Being interrupted in the middle of the REM cycle was doing him no favors at all. If not for his ninja training, he’d probably have been even more incoherent for longer.  
  
“Ogawa.” Fujitaka’s voice spilled back out quickly. “I’m sorry to call you again so soon but… well… it’s the news. They’re reporting… well, they’re reporting on _everything_.”  
  
“Everything?” In his sleep deprived state, Ogawa didn’t quite exactly grasp the implications of the statement at first.  
  
“Yes sir, I mean everything.” Fujitaki said, as panic crept into his voice. “Detailed reports on all major incidents, SONG’s connection to the Kazanari Foundation, and even all of the girls’ identities and backgrounds have been leaked to the press. It’s international news at this point!”  
  
That woke Ogawa up. _‘We’ve been exposed.’_ He realized. Then he did something really uncharacteristic, even if it wasn’t out loud. _‘Oh… oh **shit**.’_

\----

**Next Chapter: **Shattered Dreamland

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That Kirika still has the death/suicide letter she drafted off-screen during the latter part of G is something that is mentioned in XDU. I’m usually ignoring XDU as non-canon for this fic, but there are some elements I will be pulling in if I think they fit. Like the letter.
> 
> Sinwon-Up is a real location. The Jwa family are… well, Jwa is an actual Korean surname but this Jwa family is fictional. I hope.
> 
> The UN ID codes are canon. The Four Horsemen ID codes obviously not so much.
> 
> Shluha vokzal’naja = Literally translates as “Night Butterfly”, but really it means something like “Hooker” or “Whore”. Or so the internet says.
> 
> I discovered something rather important in writing this chapter: I have a hard time writing fights on a scale of ~half-dozen participants each. One on one? Sure. Massed mooks vs massed mooks? Yep. A handful of actual characters against massed mooks (like last chapter)? No problem. A handful against a handful, though? My mind promptly slapped to a halt trying to put it together at first. I tried breaking it into a series of one vs ones, but that made each fight feel too isolated from each other. Thankfully, with the support and input of my beta’s (for whom I am immensely grateful), I think I was able to put something together that is reasonably entertaining, manages to balance 1vs1 with handful vs handful, and fulfills all the objectives I wanted this fight to do in terms of both “social combat” and showing off how each member of the White Noise fights.
> 
> Finally, I believe this is the first chapter with no appearance by the Pale Man. I wonder what that rascal is up too...


	7. Shattered Dreamland

Distortions  
Chapter 7:  
Shattered Dreamland

\----

Chris awoke to the incessant ringing of her doorbell. With a groan, she swung herself around to check the time, then glared at her bedroom door when the bell rang again. Chris flung herself out of bed in a huff, wanting nothing more than to storm through her apartment; but in the end her tiredness won out. The unpleasantly short sleep she had gotten made her slouch and shuffle slowly down the hall towards the living area. ‘_Whoever the hell thinks it’s a good idea to hammer at my door just after eight on a Saturday morning, I’m going to kick their ass._’

She paused as she stepped into her living room to glance down at Kirika and Shirabe. Chris had prepared two Tatami mats for them when they had gotten in last night, but the two had completely ignored one of them in favor of sharing. She debated waking them up for a moment but decided to let the matter drop. The two had seemed especially clingy with each other on the way home last night, and Chris briefly felt some guilt over having been so pissed over Voronin beating her that she hadn’t asked them how they were doing. She had forgotten to apologize to them for letting them get caught in her explosive barrage.

Then the doorbell rang again, prompting the two to shift in their mutual embrace and the anger was promptly back. Chris gingerly stepped around the two before resuming her lumbering towards the front door. Nevermind herself, whoever dared disturb Chris’s kouhais’ slumber after last night's events was due for one hell of a ass-kicking.

Heading down the entrance hall, she finally reached the front door and swung it open, ready to give whoever was on the other side a piece of her mind...

… And was almost blinded by the mass of camera flashes.

“Chris Yukine! Chris Yukine!” A torrent of voices shouted at her as an enormous crowd of reporters pushed their way up around her, shoving what seemed like hundreds of microphones in her face.

“Is it true that you were responsible for activating the Staff of Solomon?!”

“What was your exact relationship with the woman known as ‘Finé?!”

“Given your family history, what are your thoughts regarding the current state of affairs in Val Verde?!”

“Are you in a three-way relationship with Hibiki Tachibana and Miku Kohinata?!”

“Isn’t Ichaival not actually a thing?”

“Where does the ammunition for your guns come from?! In fact, are you licensed to carry firearms at all?!”

“What is your response to accusations of murder from the family members of Noise attack victims?!”

“Is it true that you are, in fact, a 'buster'?!"

Stunned by the sensory overload, Chris couldn’t do anything for a few moments except stand there looking dumb. Finally, she regained enough whits to slam the door shut in their faces. She backed up, staring at the door as if she expected the army of reporters to smash it down, a single question ringing repeatedly through her mind: ‘_The fuck was that?!_’

“What was that, senpai?”

Chris whirled around at Shirabe’s voice. The pigtailed girl was standing at the end of the entrance hall, rubbing her sleep out of her eyes. Chris froze like a deer in a headlight, not sure how to explain the inexplicable gaggle of reporters at her front door shouting questions that, she was only just starting to realize, they really shouldn’t have had the information to even ask.

Fortunately for her dignity, Chris was saved by a shout from Kirika. “Wooooaaaah! Chris, you’re on TV!”

Chris quickly moved back into the living room as Shirabe turned. Sure enough, there on the big-screen was footage of her and Maria fighting Vanessa on the highway when she was chasing Ogawa. Footage she was pretty sure SONG had secured and classified. Footage that a quick glance at the channel icon told Chris was now being broadcasted on national television.

Chris glanced down at the headline. It read Symphogear Incident Details, Identities Leaked.

“WOOOOAAAAH!” Kirika’s shout was even louder this time. “Shirabe! That’s us!”

Chris glanced back up. Sure enough, the footage had changed to that of Kirika and Shirabe fighting against Elsa on the USS Whitemore.

“Turn it up.” Chris finally asked.

Kirika nodded, unmuting the television.

“-ust joining us, our station and many other stations around the world have received detailed information on the backgrounds and events surrounding the famous yet poorly known ‘Symphogears’. We will be presenting a special, detailed exposé on the subject at noon, but for now, we are covering the most important and shocking information. Of greatest note, the identities of the other six Symphogears besides Maria Cadenzavna Eve have been revealed. The most startling of the reveals was idol singer Tsubasa Kazanari, who was apparently the very first Symphogear. Tsubasa has done many collaborations with Maria in the past, and the two are known to be close friends. Also of note, the second-ever identified Symphogear is Hibiki Tachibana, better known as the mysterious adaptor who appeared during the Frontier-”

Chris was already dialling Hibiki and Miku’s number as she waved at Kirika to mute the television again. She was desperately hoping that the dummy wasn’t stupid enough to talk to any of them or, god forbid, let them in. At least she knew they were in a high-rise that would force reporters to camp at the lobby entrance. Why, oh why, did Chris agree to live in a ground floor apartment?

“Chris!” Hibiki’s voice was running at the same tilt as one of her punches. “Help! There’salotofreportersrightoutsidewaitingtomobusifweleave-”

“SLOW DOWN!” Chris shouted back. “I’ve got the same problem! Are they on your floor?”

“Eh? Oh, no,” Hibiki replied after a moment, this time at an actually understandable rate. “Our landlord has managed to keep them out by threatening to call the cops. They just about charged us when we tried to go outside though… wait, you mean you’re besieged too?”

“That’s what I said! There’s a mess of them right outside my door, they’ve trapped me and our juniors in.” Her eyes narrowed. “You have seen the news, right?”

“The news? What does-” Hibiki paused and Chris was pretty sure she heard Miku in the background. “Ah, hold on. I’m putting you on speaker.”

There was a moment's pause, then Miku’s voice came over. “Chris? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Chris said flatly. “But I think we’ve got a bigger problem. Turn on the news.”

“What? How does that-WOAH!” Hibiki basically interrupted herself. “That’s us! Fighting! How did they get that?!”

“At a guess, the Four Horsemen.” Chris growled.

“From that security breach, right?” Miku was quick on the uptake.

“Yeah. At least they aren’t right at your front door. Can’t you get out the back?”

“We checked. There’s a bunch waiting at the end of the alley as well.” Miku replied. “We called SONG and they said they would send people to get us but…” She trailed off for a moment. “Chris, did you really go out to them in your pajamas?”

“Eh?” Chris said, turning to the television. Sure enough, it was currently showing those few seconds when she had opened the door and was staring in dumb confusion at all the reporters shouting at her. She felt her cheeks burn. Oh so the entire country, if not the world, had now seen her in her pajamas. Wonderful. “I-I just woke up and didn’t know it was them! And they were hammering away at the doorbell! It was annoying!”

“Should we call Tsubasa and Maria?” Hibiki asked after a moment, apparently deciding to concentrate on the more immediate concern for once.

Chris considered it for a moment, then snorted briefly. “If there’s anyone of us who know how to handle a horde of reporters, it’s those two. Just stay inside, stay safe, and wait for the guys from SONG, okay?”

“We will.” Miku reassured her.

Chris hung up. In spite of her earlier advice she was tempted to try to call Tsubasa and even went as far as to begin scrolling through her contacts. But she stopped short when she stumbled upon a rather different name first.

Komichi Ayano.

‘_Oh god,_’ Chris thought, ‘_Komichi is going to know now._’ Would she be upset that Chris never told her? Saddened? Disappointed? Chris shut her eyes for a moment in an unspoken apology in lieu of being able to give an actual one.

She glanced back over towards Shirabe and Kirika. The two had turned on closed captions so as not to disrupt Chris’s phone call. The news had gone back to showing battle footage and Chris winced as she realized they were now showing the fight between Kirika and Tsubasa on that carrier back during the Frontier Incident. Fortunately, it seemed the two had decided to focus more on what the news was saying then what they were showing.

“SONG’s coming to pick us up.” She announced. “Get dressed and make sure to grab your things. I think we’ll be spending the weekend at HQ. Again.”

\----

“Mr. Ogawa.” Aaron Fechter, the German representative to the UN Security Council’s SONG Oversight Committee, said. “I do hope you understand the enormity of what happened last night.”

Genjuro, Ogawa reflected, would have probably responded to that by stating “enormity is an understatement.” Ogawa, on the other hand, simply settled for a polite “I do.”

After all, what adjective could one use when an unprecedentedly successful cover-up and misinformation campaign stretching over years was effectively obliterated in a single night?

The first exposé wouldn’t air for another hour, but they already had a fair idea of what would be in it. Not only were the more cooperative news agencies willing to forward copies of the information they received, but a number of hacktivist “freedom of information” groups had been the first to break the story by outright releasing the documents onto the internet. And when Fujitaka had said they covered everything, he was almost entirely on the ball. Pretty much the only details left out were scientific-technical ones.

After action reports, debriefing minutes, psychological and physical evaluations, personnel files, more general histories, reports on the relics’ combat capabilities, video and audio recordings… nothing was left out. Copies of almost every scrap of classified information SONG, the Japanese Government, the American Government, and the UN had assembled on the adaptors and the incidents they had been involved in had been dispatched globally. Not just to television stations and hacktivist groups, but also to tabloids, magazines, newspapers, radio stations, and even several respected internet news bloggers had all received copies both physical and digital with neatly attached summaries. All in anonymously dropped off packages. If they were an even remotely noteworthy news source internationally or nationally, they received copies.

With that level of dispersal of the information, the resulting breach was unavoidable. Those who initially held back, whether out of worry of prosecution or of jumping the gun on what could be a prank, soon changed their tune once their less cautious competitors went full speed ahead with publication. And as details were verified and it came to light that the information was legitimate… well, what reason was there to hold back when so many others were already reporting it? The twenty-four hour news cycle had sustained itself on far less before.

It galled him. As he had explained to Hibiki way back when she first joined Section 2, ensuring information about the Symphogears was controlled had been his job. It was one he took quiet pride in, and not just for professional reasons. That information control had allowed for Tsubasa to pursue her dream, had ensured Miku and Hibiki could live ordinary lives free from public scrutiny, and that Chris, Maria, Shirabe, and Kirika could successfully reintegrate into society.

On the other hand, there were some rather hilarious moments that came out of this fiasco. That the Illuminati was really controlling European politics from behind the scenes and had been destroyed by SONG was sending conspiracy nuts into absolute conniptions, which was enough to give Ogawa a chuckle. It was less funny when they turned around and claimed the Symphogear adaptors were really the new Illuminati. But Ogawa supposed that was just his relationship with them making him feel insulted on their behalf.

The meeting with the UN committee was supposed to have been about the Four Horsemen’s attack the previous night, but the current publicity fiasco had swiftly overshadowed that.

Publicity fiasco… great, he was going to have to hire a PR agent for SONG.

The Russian, German, French, American, Japanese, and British representatives were all here, each in varying states of “haggard”, but the screen for the Chinese representative was ominously dark. Of the ones who were here, Anthony Becker, the American representative, was the least happy of them. “If that is the case,” he began angrily. “Perhaps you can explain why the bulk of documents are straight from SONG’s database!”

Ogawa couldn’t exactly find it in himself to blame the American. Undoubtedly, he was under a lot of pressure from his own administration. The revelations about the FIS and America’s exact involvement in some prior incidents was going to spell the end of more than a few careers. “Political shitstorm” didn’t even begin to cover it. Still, he had to defend his organization.

“It is true the majority of documents are either from SONG or the now-defunct Section 2.” Concede first, then counterpoint. “However, almost as many of the leaked documents are from the UN classifieds as well as both Japanese and American government archives. The Four Horsemen have exhibited significant cyber-espionage and counter-espionage capabilities. Even ECHELON has been unable to track their digital footprint.”

Ogawa tactfully refrained from mentioning that such a fact was also absolutely terrifying. In spite of the American ECHELON project being the most sophisticated electronic intelligence program in the whole world, it had failed as comprehensively as any of SONG’s own efforts at even detecting the Four Horsemen’s wireless communications. Everyone in the room knew from this that the Four Horsemen had access to technology and resources beyond what the world’s most powerful military possessed, but nobody wanted to say so out loud.

Becker grimaced at the counterpoint but kept his mouth shut. After all, he had been the one to let slip that tidbit during an earlier meeting, after Emily’s botched attempt on Miku.

“Perhaps letting the adaptors talk to the press should help ameliorate some of the blowback?” Keegan Hunter, the British representative, suggested. “Under controlled conditions, of course. It would be better if the public got some sense of the adaptors as people instead of as distant heroes. A press conference seems ideal.”

“Yes.” Fechter quickly latched onto the idea. “The sooner the better. This week, at the latest.”

Ogawa thought of someone like Chris being subjected to the sort of probing questions about her past that would inevitably come up and carefully refrained from cringing.

“It’s exams week.” Ogawa said quickly, seeking an excuse for why this shouldn’t happen. “We don’t want this to impact the girls’ lives any more than it already has.“

He could tell they weren’t buying it even before he finished the sentence.

“Ogawa,” Furuse Kazushige, Yatsushiro’s replacement for the Japanese representative. “I understand you share your predecessor’s concern about the impact upon the adaptors’ morale. But it’s too late now. Whether they like it or not, they are now global celebrities, and the best we can do is make sure they come out as famous and not infamous. The longer we prohibit them from speaking with the press, the more frenzied and hostile the media wolves will get.”

“If I might suggest a compromise?” The French representative, Vincent Beaufils, quickly said. “Tsubasa Kazanari and Maria Candezevna are already used to dealing with publicity and have no school commitments. Perhaps having them undertake a press conference this week would be most suitable. The rest can give a separate conference next week, after their exams have passed.“ He gave a significant glance to Ogawa. “There would be additional time to coach them as well.”

Ogawa paused, acting as if he was considering the action when he was really gauging the others disposition towards the idea. It was a useful skill to have in intelligence, but ever since he wound up as acting-commander, he had found it equally invaluable in the political juggling act. And he could tell that this was the best he was going to get. If the entire available committee agreed, they could overrule him after all. “That sounds reasonable.”

“Speaking of Miss Candezevna.” Chernykh Luka Svyatoslavovich, the Russian representative, finally spoke up. “There is the rather significant issue of her past actions…” The man shot a particularly pointed glance at Becker. “And how they have been concealed from a number of the members of this committee.”

“Surely your government is not agreeing with those in the media saying she should be tried?” Beaufil’s voice was appropriately incredulous. “My government is also unhappy about being lied too, but wasn’t risking life and limb repeatedly for our sake sufficient to atone for their past crimes? To say nothing about the practical consequences of removing one of only seven Symphogear adaptors on the planet from duty?”

“I’m not arguing for that,” Chernykh quickly said. “My government’s complaint is more about the concealment of this information.”

Ogawa was expecting this to come up. “Had we not concealed it, would you have even given her the chance?”

“A fair point.” Chernykh acknowledged. “Nonetheless, I have been instructed to make the complaint clear and warn that if we discover the concealment of further crucial information, the Russian Federation may be forced to revise its support for SONG.”

“That shouldn’t be much of an issue in the future.” Becker said. “With these leaks, all the cards have been laid on the table. There’s just the Four Horsemen to take care of.”

“I wish that was the case, Mr. Becker.” The Chinese representative Zhong Guanting said as his face joined those on the screen at long last. Alarm bells went off in Ogawa’s head as he noticed just how sullen the man looked. “Unfortunately, my government disagrees.”

“Mr. Guanting?” Ogawa queried.

“Gentlemen, I am not here to converse for long.” Guanting replied. “I am simply here to announce my reassignment and pass on a statement from my government.” The man took a deep breath and then began reading out loud a prepared, a gloomy expression on his face.

“The Central Committee has decided that the People’s Republic of China simply cannot support, much less be a part of, an organization with such thorough ties to the old Imperial Japanese Army. Until these recent revelations, we have barely been able to tolerate the effective Japanese monopolization of heretical technology that SONG has brought about. Considering SONG is a direct descendent of the regime which inflicted such cruelties upon the Chinese people, supporting it would be an insult to all those patriots that were murdered by the Japanese Empire. Compounding this insult, SONG has concealed this information about its origins from us, among other things.” He railed off the statement robotically and by rote. “As such, my government is officially withdrawing all support for SONG, effective immediately, and will shortly introduce a resolution to the UN Security Council calling for its disbandment and replacement with a truly international organization.”

Internally, Ogawa winced. He had been expecting this from the moment Guanting had appeared, but that didn’t make the news any less of a blow. As the other effective military and economic superpower in the world, loss of Chinese support would represent a serious drop in funding unless the other member states could be convinced to increase their contributions.

“You can’t be serious?!” Hunter gasped. Kazushige and Becker also looked appropriately horrified. But Ogawa couldn’t help but notice the rather inscrutable looks Fechter, Chernykh, and Beaufils adopted. Of course, their countries wouldn’t dare anger the Chinese with what was at stake in Europe.

Guanting simply spread his hands apologetically. “For what it is worth, I protested this decision. But it’s out of my hands now. I sincerely hope that we will be able to come to an agreement that benefits the entire world and be able to work in harmony in the future.” He bowed before his face vanished from the screen, leaving a black void in its place.

\----

Click.

“-death of Kanade Amou negligence or-”

Click.

“-what do you think this means for Tsubasa Kazanari’s rec-”

Click.

“-think the relationship between Miku Kohinata and Hibiki Tachibana is-”

Click.

“-denzavna Eve, Kirika Akatsuki, and Shirabe Tsukuyomi should stand trial immediately for their-”

Click.

“-no comment from the Vatican as to the theological implications of the revelations surrounding the Symphog-”

Click.

“-SYMPHONIC LESBIAN AGENDA-”

Click.

“-at do you think the Four Horsemen’s message reveals?”

Tsubasa paused at that, simply because that was the first channel she had found all morning which referred to their current enemy. More to the point, it clued her into that the Four Horsemen had released a message. Most of the news she had seen so far was so focused on SONG, the incidents, or the adaptors that the undoubted source of the leaks had never once been mentioned.

Then again, maybe that had to do with the fact the incident the previous night was still being successfully sold as a military exercise so the fact the Four Horsemen had launched an outright attack on Japanese soil wasn’t there. The irony was not lost on Tsubasa, but that still didn’t mean she found it funny. She hoped the Government reversed course on that deception soon, but she had some experience with the inertia of Government bureaucracy when it came to lies.

The man the interviewer had asked the question seemed relaxed enough. Short, slick, orange hair with early signs of greying and a formal suit appropriate for a television interview. The text at the bottom of the screen identified him as Professor Morioka Makoto.

“Well, I feel as if I should get this out of the way: the Four Horsemen do have a point, at least when it comes to the Custodians.” He began. “The records of this leak pretty clearly shows that the Custodians were short-sighted, selfish, incompetent, and, in one particular case, outright malevolent. I cannot help but agree with the Four Horsemen that mankind would have been better off developing naturally.”

“But doesn’t the documentation also show that the Custodians were responsible for the creation of humanity? Of life on the planet?” The interviewer challenged. “How could the lack of the Custodians be a good thing for humanity if it means they don’t exist in the first place?”

“The documents do identify the Custodians as the ones who seeded life on Earth, true.” The Professor conceded. “But to begin with, there is no scientific evidence to corroborate this claim. The documents make clear that those claims are derived, either directly or indirectly, from the Custodians themselves. And even if we accept their claim at face value, the fact they chose Earth indicates that the potential for life already existed on this planet. So it is far from certain that life would not have formed and evolved as it did without their interference. Additionally, even if one accepts their responsibility for our creation, then one also has to acknowledge they had a responsibility towards their creations, a responsibility they neglected.”

“Such as?” The interviewer prompted. Tsubasa also couldn’t help but wonder what example he was going to give.

“Well, consider the issue of Adam Weishaupt, the Bavarian Illuminati’s leader.” The Professor sat straighter in his seat, as if he wanted to stand up and give a lecture. “Supposedly the first prototype for humanity, the Custodians supposedly discarded him for ‘being too perfect.’ However, they gave no thought to the consequences of just tossing aside Adam, either to him or to mankind. Instead of trying to find him a purpose or give his existence meaning, they abandoned him as if he were some house pet. Given that context, is it any wonder he turned out the way he did? Worse, it had a grossly negative effect on us, as Adam essentially became an enemy of humanity. If they were so much more advanced than us, then they sure didn’t act like it.”

“A fascinating example, to be sure.” The interviewer allowed, before turning to the camera. “We’ll be right back with our interview with Morioka Makoto, Professor of Molecular Biology from the University of Tokyo after these messages.”

Chria had only been half paying attention to the television from the other couch, more focused on helping Kirika with her studies, but at the mention of the Professor's name, her head came around. “Wait, that was Makoto-sensei?”

“You know him?” Tsubasa asked, muting the commercial.

“Yeah, he has an office on my college campus.” Chris replied. “He even teaches one of the classes I’m taking this term. What was he talking about again? Something about the Custodians?”

“He thought the Four Horsemen’s attitude towards the Custodians had a lot of validity.” Tsubasa said.

Chris’s expression darkened. “Oh, really?”

“Yukine,” Tsubasa arched an eyebrow. “He just talked about the Custodians. He didn’t talk about us at all.” That was why she bothered to watch in the first place. She was used to being mentioned in the media but the current frenzy was… rather a bit much.

She was not looking forward to the press conference, currently scheduled for Wednesday. Particularly since she was worried about Maria.

“Hmph.” Chris grumbled, eyeing the television. “Well, Shem-Ha was an ass, and the Professor seemed decent enough in class. I guess I’ll see Monday.” She glanced around. “Where’s the dummy, her girlfriend, and Maria?”

“Tachibana and Kohinata are using the simulator for training.” Tsubasa replied. “I think Kohinata wanted to work on moving without her Ionocraft modules and firing at high speeds.” The bluenette figured she’d use them herself later. She needed to get used to fighting someone like Jwa or the other White Noise.

“Good idea.” Chris muttered. “That Congolese guy did manage to knock those out briefly.” Given the new threat posed by the Four Horsemen, she couldn’t fault them. She just hoped the two didn’t wind up neglecting their studies. Although now that she thought about it, maybe she’d take some time in the sims to try and figure out how she might get Voronin. “And Maria?”

“She’s actually watching the news.”

Chris balked. “What?! Why? It’s just a bunch of blowhards who think they know everything about us because now all of this information is out there.”

“I don’t know.” Tsubasa shrugged. “Maybe she wants to keep track of how everyone reacts.”

There was nothing but silence for a few moments, the only sound being the hum of the muted television.

“Anyways, all three of you will need training tomorrow.” Tsubasa suddenly said in a clear effort to change the subject.

“Against the Four Horsemen?” Shirabe asked as she looked up from next to Kirika.

“No.” Tsubasa clarified. “Against the media.” Everyone looked at her in confusion, prompting her to sigh and rub at her temples. “You are going to have to learn how to disguise yourselves in public. You’re as much celebrities now as I am.”

Herself a celebrity? Chris contemplated that for a few moments. She didn’t know what to think of it.

—

Miku shot through the simulated air, the Shenshoujing’s Ionocraft modules going full blast as she swerved and jinked like she had against Gowon. With each maneuver, she turned and fired at the target, a stationary computerized Noise. The blasts that actually connected didn’t do anything to the simulated creature, but that was how the exercise had been programmed. This exercise was about hitting the target, after all, not destroying it.

Hibiki, untransformed, simply stood a fair bit off to the side and watched, throwing out words of encouragement whenever Miku landed a good shot, which fortunately was increasingly the case. As much as she didn’t like to admit it, the Gungnir user was quite aware how limited her ranged repertoire was, so this exercise was relatively out of her depth. When she did use ranged attacks, she was used to moving straight towards her target, not parallel or perpendicular to it.

With a loud buzz, the scenario timer rang out across the room and Miku came to a halt. The entire simulation, that of a relatively empty field, faded away to be replaced by the delineated confines of the sim room.

“How did I do?” Miku asked as she drifted over to Hibiki before dispelling her gear.

Hibiki looked down at the tablet. “One-hundred eighty-three direct hits, two-hundred thirty-four grazes, one-hundred seventy-three misses.”

The two exchanged smiles. It was the first time Miku’s misses had been below her direct hits in this scenario. A massive improvement over the previous several tries.

“Want to try it against a moving target next?” Hibiki asked.

“How about a break first, then you help me with the footbound training.” Miku offered. “I don’t like you just standing around.”

“Okay!” Hibiki said eagerly as she grabbed both of their bags from by the door. “Let’s go to the cafeteria!”

“Hibiki.” Miku softly chided as they stepped into the hallway. “You just ate lunch two hours ago.”

Hibiki laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. Miku simply sighed, placing her hands on her hips. “What am I going to do with you?”

The two looked at each other and giggled.

Miku’s phone rang. She was always amazed by how good the cell reception on SONG’s headquarters was, with it being a submarine and all. She pulled her phone out, checking the caller ID. The smile fell from her face.

It was her parents.

Hibiki noticed her girlfriend’s mood change immediately. “Miku?”

“It’s mom. Or dad.” The Shenshoujing user replied. “I… I never told them about any of this.”

She should have seen this coming the moment she saw the news broadcasts. Hibiki’s parents knew, at least about the Symphogear. They kind of had to after everything that happened with her father. Hibiki’s mother didn’t exactly approve of the Symphogear stuff, but they understood.

But Miku had simply never thought to tell her own parents. SONG had never seen any reason to bring them in.

“Do you want to…” Hibiki trailed off, not sure precisely what to suggest in this situation.

“I can’t.” Miku said. “They already know. I can’t shut them out forever.”

Hibiki let out a big breath. “Okay.” She finally said, taking Miku’s free hand. “I’ll be right here.”

Miku nodded. She looked at the ringing cell phone again. Swallowing, she pressed the answer button and brought it up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Miku.” The voice of first Matsuura and then Okamura Kohinata, Miku’s father and mother respectively, said.

“Mother, father.” Miku hoped she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt.

“You know why we are calling?” Matsuura asked.

“Yes.” Miku paused, then tentatively added. “Are… are you mad?”

“Are we mad?” Matsuura wondered aloud. “Miku, let us assume you had a daughter. Your only daughter. You love her dearly. When she turns fifteen, you agree to send her off to a distant school with her best friend. For the next two years, you hear back nothing but ‘everything’s just fine, no need to worry!’ Then, one day, you wake up to find out that your daughter has been recruited into a United Nations superhero organization for several months now after obtaining an immense artifact of power. And during the two year interval she’s been gone, she had repeatedly risked her life assisting that organization as a regular person, including being kidnapped and brainwashed on two separate occasions. How mad do you think you would be?”

There was only one thing Miku could think to say to that. “I’m sorry,” It came out in a very small voice.

“Matsuura.” Okamura chided her husband. “Miku, yes, we’re mad. But we’re also worried. Why didn’t you tell us?”

Miku began. “For most of the time… it was too dangerous-”

“_Too dangerous?!_” Matsuura interrupted. “Too dangerous for two adults but not dangerous enough for their own teenage daughter?!”

Miku winced at the shout. Hibiki immediately started to hug her but Miku quickly shook her head. ‘It’s fine. I can handle this.’

“Matsuura!” Okamura’s voice was quite sharp at this point. Miku could hear the deep breath her father took trying to calm himself down.

“I’m sorry Miku.” He finally said. “But we love you, and to find out you went through all of this…” He trailed off for a few moments. “Yes, we’re mad at you. But it’s because we’re also afraid for you.”

“I understand.” Miku said.

“But you’ll have to come home during summer break.” Okamura replied. “So we can talk about this more thoroughly. Not just about what happened, but also about SONG… and about your relationship with Tachibana.”

Miku’s heart sank.

“And be sure to bring Tachibana with you.” Matsuura added. “So we can give her our blessing.”

Miku blinked in surprise. After a few moments, she finally managed to work up a response. “Y-you don’t disapprove?”

“How could we disapprove of someone who loves our little girl so much that she was willing to fight an insane goddess to save her?” Okamura said softly. “Besides, given the way you two acted around each other, I thought you were already dating when you left for Lydian.”

“Well, it took me by surprise.” Matsuura muttered. “Just don’t forget to invite us to the wedding when you two get engaged.”

In spite of how happy she felt at that moment, Miku couldn’t help but blush, much to Hibiki’s confusion.

\----

[15Z601 Secure Access. Please Enter Authentication: ******* ]  
[Authentication Verified]  
[BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA Clearance Verified]  
[Archival Request Granted]  
[15Z601 Audio Log #55881-J-4676. Date: 07/09/2045 0623 GMT]  
[NOTE: Log Classified BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA. Per Red Unit COMSEC Protocols, TFH-WU Callsigns Are Used For Speakers.]

[15Z601 Link Established. Log Begins.]

**The Lamb:** “Red Unit’s secured the line. So, Lieutenant, how do you feel about your first clash?”  
**WN-1-A:** “Inconclusive.”  
**The Lamb:** “That’s what it was, not how you feel.”  
**WN-1-A:** “I don’t like that it was inconclusive, sir.”  
**The Lamb:** “It was not a liquidation mission. It was not supposed to be conclusive in that sense.”  
**WN-1-A:** “I want them dead.”  
**The Lamb:** “And they will die, Lieutenant. I am as committed to that cause as you are. But until the new equipment finishes testing, and especially until Sabin rolls out, your odds of that are low. You’ll just have to be patient. Do you understand?”  
[Significant Pause Recorded]  
**WN-1-A:** “Yes, sir.”  
**The Lamb:** “Good. Now, you’ve received your new orders?”  
**WN-1-A:** “Yes, sir. Three in particular is happy about it. It’s… a little bit annoying, actually. Four’s getting a bit agitated though. She wants an Oscar dead.”  
**The Lamb:** “Tell her that if she behaves, she’ll get one by the end of the month. We already have his location.”  
**WN-1-A:** “I’m sure she’ll be glad to hear that, sir.”  
**The Lamb:** “And Two?”  
**WN-1-A:** “Just said he did plenty of that in Poland.”  
**The Lamb:** “So he did. Anything else?”  
**WN-1-A:** “Did you receive Two’s proposal?”  
**The Lamb:** “Yes, and it’s a good idea, both in terms of dealing with Sierra-3 and furthering our interests. I’ve already put the relevant battlegroups on standby.”  
**WN-1-A:** “He’ll be satisfied to hear that, sir. One last thing: Sierra-2 tried to talk us down.”  
**The Lamb:** “Of course she did. It’s consistent with her record. You should expect further attempts in the future.”  
**WN-1-A:** “It pisses me off, sir.”  
The Lamb: “Look at it this way, Lieutenant: if your enemy extends their hand to you, then that’s a perfect opportunity to tear their arm off.”  
[Significant Pause Recorded]  
**WN-1-A**: “I like it. I’ll keep it in mind, sir.”

[15Z601 Link Terminated. Log Ends]

\----

The four black cars, their windows tinted, pulled up to the front of Lydian as girls streamed into the gate, drawing a few curious glances from passersby. Two days had passed, and the announcement that there would be two press conferences, one this week and another the next, had caused the media circus to lose some steam. Yet there were still a number of reporters present, mainly photographers. They wouldn’t dare enter the property for fear of ending up in a jail cell for trespassing, but if they hung around the entrance, they could probably catch one of the adaptors coming to school.

And a quartet of obviously official-looking cars drew their attention immediately. They then drew the attention of almost everyone else on the sidewalks when the cars at the front and back each disgorged four classic looking Men in Black. Two more got out of the drivers and passengers seat of the middle two, the driver of each vehicle moving around to the rear right door.

“Ready?” Miku asked Hibiki from the backseat of the second car.

“Sure! Why not?” Hibiki’s smile seemed genuine enough, but Miku could detect the undercurrent of unease beneath it. She reached out, took Hibiki’s hand, and squeezed reassuringly.

Miku nodded out to the agent, who swung the door open, and she stepped out of the vehicle, Hibiki climbing out immediately behind her. Kirika and Shirabe likewise emerged from the third car.

The photographers’ cameras shot up and began clicking away almost immediately as the four were escorted down the path by the cordon of agents. The few reporters who were there to actually try and ask questions thought better of it and instead chose to begin writing out the scene for their report instead.

Hibiki glanced around, looking not at the reporters but at the other Lydian girls who had stopped to watch the unusual scene. She had dreaded this part. They would stare at her. Judge her. Whisper and mock her. It would be middle school all over again. Miku had confided in her over breakfast that she was scared of that too.

Now, facing it, Hibiki realized that it was and it wasn’t like middle school. There were stares and whispers, but they were different stares and whispers. There was no mocking or judgement in them. Instead, there was mostly curiosity, awe, and something that almost bordered on reverence. Hibiki did notice a few hostile gazes, but none were directed at her. Most were actually directed at Kirika and Shirabe. And the few that weren’t…

Hibiki had an intake of breath as she realized that one or two of the glares were directed at Miku. The black-haired girl didn’t seem to notice them: her attention was more on how Hibiki was feeling. Hibiki wasn’t one to normally get angry, but the thought of Miku going through what the Gungnir user had in middle school was enough to do the job. Hibiki’s own gaze hardened as she glared back at those glaring at Miku, who quickly flinched and averted their eyes. For her part, Miku just blinked in confusion at Hibiki’s momentary anger.

Kirika and Shirabe also noticed the gazes, both hostile and not, directed at them. They had come without any expectations, but that had given rise to its own fears. Kirika had swung between wondering about a ticker tape parade and dreading a lynch mob. Shirabe was simply afraid of the unknown. Now, confronted with nothing but the stares of all their peers, they unconsciously huddled closer to each to try and stave off the discomfort of the gazes.

As they reached the gates and their escorts peeled away, the four adaptors couldn’t help but come to one overriding conclusion: this wasn’t what coming to Lydian was supposed to be like.

—

Hibiki quickly found herself missing the days when they still had their anonymity. Most of her classmates seemed so distant with them now. There were a few exceptions: Yumi, Shiori, Kuriyo, and a handful of others who had been there back at Kadingir and known all this time weren’t treating them any differently. But everyone else? They all seemed to be afraid of them now.

No, ‘afraid’ wasn’t right. It was more like… how the students were with Tsubasa, back when Hibiki had first started at Lydian.

Even the teachers were treating her differently. Nakane-sensei had almost worked herself up in the usual manner when she caught Hibiki beginning to nod off.

“TACHI-” Nakane had begun before seeming to catch herself. “Ba… na…” She paused for a few moments before gently chiding, “Please do try to stay awake.”

In fact, Hibiki hadn’t been yelled at by a faculty member once all day so far. Once, she would have celebrated that fact.

Now? She didn’t like it. It felt wrong.

It was morning break at the moment and she had run outside to grab a drink for Miku and herself. She was busy mulling over the day as she returned back down the hallway to the classroom. She was approaching an intersection in the hall when someone’s voice made her pause.

“I still can’t believe there were superheroes coming here all this time!”

Carefully, she leaned forward to glance around the corner. A trio of girls she recognized from some of her classes were hanging out in the hallway, idly chatting among themselves. She couldn’t remember their names. At first she was tempted to just continue on and ignore them. But then it occurred to her that listening in might be a good idea. Maybe she could figure out how to become approachable again, in spite of everything.

“I know. It seems so surreal that we even have classes with them. It does explain some things now. Particularly what happened to the old buildings and some of the stuff Tachibana got up too.”

“She’s amazing, isn’t she? Everything she went through in middle school, after that concert… and yet she still was so willing to fight for everyone's sake.”

“Well, Tachibana was always pretty awesome. Not to mention hot. You ever get a glimpse of her abs in the changing room for PE? Yum. If it weren’t for how blatant she and Kohinata are with each other, she’d probably have to beat the girls off with her powers.”

Hibiki blushed at that. She had never been one to put much thought into her own appearance, save when she wanted to look nice for Miku. To hear that other people beyond her friends had thought she was attractive all this time felt a little embarrassing but also rather nice.

Maybe she should eavesdrop more often.

“It’s too bad it feels so hard to approach her now.”

“Kohinata is so lucky.”

“Luckier than she deserves…”

The sourness in that last sentence burned away the modicum of good feelings Hibiki had accumulated listening in away.

“What do you mean?”

“You did read the news, right? She let herself be brainwashed, twice. The first time she almost killed her own friends. The second time she almost killed the world. Don’t you remember Shem-Ha? Don’t you remember how terrified everyone was when she tried to overtake us? That’s all because Kohinata let her in. I don’t care how attractive or amazing Tachibana is, what kind of person almost dooms humanity because they don’t know how to approach a single girl?”

“I suppose you have a point.”

“I’m not done: she does all of this and yet what happens? She gets rewarded for it. She gets Tachibana. She gets to be a Symphogear adaptor. Does someone like that really deserve to be so great? I would have locked her up.”

“You know, now that you mentioned it, she did always come off as a bit… stuck-up to me, I guess.“

That was it. Hibiki had heard enough. She went around the corner, making sure quite loudly to put her foot down with the last step. The three girls turned towards her at the sound and the color drained out of their faces.

“T-Tachibana…-sama.” The one who had just been talking about Miku stuttered, hastily tacking on the honorific after a moment's pause as if it would in some way ameliorate the situation.

“Don’t talk that way about Miku.” Hibiki growled, causing the girls to flinch. “You have no idea what she went through. You have no right to judge her.” She took another step towards them, to which the girls responded by backing away in fear. “So don’t you dare talk like that about her!”

“Hibiki!”

Hibiki looked up at the familiar voice, beyond the three girls who also turned at the interruption. Miku stood in the hallway, her face a mask of worry. If the three girls looked afraid when Hibiki confronted them, upon seeing Miku they promptly upgraded to terrified.

“K-Kohinata.” One of them said, fear apparent in her voice. “How much… how much did you-”

“Enough.” Miku replied, not even glancing at them as she started to walk forward. The three girls scrambled to get out of her way, pressing their backs against the wall as she simply walked right by them and up to Hibiki, wrapping her girlfriend in a hug. She took a moment to glance over her shoulder at them. “It would probably be best if you three didn’t stay.”

The three girls took the hint and quickly scrambled away down the hall, disappearing into their next class.

“That wasn’t like you, Hibiki.” Miku muttered softly, stroking the Gungnir user’s hair.

“I know.” Hibiki’s voice hitched as she returned the hug. “I know. But the way they were talking about you… I couldn’t let them say those things. That’s how it started in middle school, even before the concert, and the thought of that happening to you, of you having to go through what I did-”

“I understand.” Miku cut her off. “I know you’re worried, and I’m grateful. But you can’t take this all on yourself.” After another moment, she added softly. “And besides, it’s not like they were wrong.”

Miku had meant that more for herself then Hibiki, but it caused the chestnut haired girl to stiffen and she pulled back from the hug, gripping Miku on either side in alarm. “Don’t say that! Of course they’re wrong! There’s no way they are right!”

“I know you believe that.” Miku replied. “And… I would like to believe it too. But I can’t.”

“No… Miku...” The pain in Hibiki’s voice made Miku’s heartache.

“I’m sorry, Hibiki.” Miku continued. “But I can’t deny it. I did agree to wear the Shenshoujing for Dr Ver. I did let Shem-Ha in because of my worries over my feelings for you. Those were my choices. And because of them, I hurt people. I killed people. Since the day Emily forced me to realize it, I’ve been trying and trying to forgive myself like you have forgiven me. But so far, I can’t.”

Tears welled up at the corners of Hibiki’s eyes. She wanted to reiterate her earlier denials. She wanted to say to Miku that she was wrong, that there was no way Hibiki’s sunshine could be a bad person. But again confronted with Miku’s words, even after the last time, how could she possibly convince her?

“But…” Miku added. “I’ll keep trying. I’ll keep fighting with you to save others, to make up for what I did. So I can finally feel that I deserve this happiness with you again...” Then, to Hibiki’s surprise, Miku leaned in and kissed her. She held it longer for any kiss they had shared to date and when the two finally broke it, Miku made one last addendum. “For our sake.”

“Miku…” Hibiki breathed, her mind a turmoil of emotions.

Miku reached up and wiped Hibiki’s tears away. Then, taking her hands, she gently pulled her along back towards the classroom she had come from. “Come on. Break’s almost over… we’re going to be late for our next class.”

“Okay…” Hibiki finally said, finally coming to terms with what is happening. “Okay.” She said again. “But…”

Miku cocked her head curiously.

“I’m still not going to let anyone here talk about you like that. You might think you deserve it, but I don’t.”

Miku sighed. “Okay… just… don’t go overboard with it. We’re under enough scrutiny as it is.”

Hibiki gave what felt like her first genuine smile all day. “It’s a promise.”

—

It was lunch time. Kirika and Shirabe had joined their upperclassmen in their own effort to get away from the awed isolation coming from their peers. For most of it, there was an unspoken consensus to avoid discussing Symphogear matters. Yumi had blabbed on about some of the latest anime episodes and enthused about the imminent arrival of her NERV set. Shiori had chastised her to concentrate more on the upcoming exams. Kirika and Hibiki joined with Yumi in her anime discussion. Miku and Shirabe just let themselves enjoy the atmosphere. For most of the lunch period, it felt like nothing had changed.

Then Kuriyo made her announcement.

“_What_?!” Six voices chorused back at her in shock. Yumi adding. “You’re leaving?!”

“My parents… they were unhappy when they found out that Lydian was used as a gathering place for Symphogear candidates. Really unhappy.” The beige haired girl elaborated, a sad smile on her face. “They’re letting me finish this term, but I’ll be transferring to another school to finish the year next term.”

“That’s not fair!” Yumi replied. “I mean, my parents were a bit upset about that too, but to pull you out?!. We won’t be able to see each other ever again!”

“Hey now,” Kuriyo hastily added. “They didn’t go that far! We still have our contact information. I can still come to hang out with you guys outside of school.”

“That’s true.” Shiori said. “But… it just won’t be the same without you here, Kuriyo.”

“I’m sorry.” Kuriyo looked down. “I didn’t want to ruin the mood, but I couldn’t think of any other time to bring it up.”

Hibiki didn’t say anything, simply opting to stare at Kuriyo in quiet disbelief. Another friend torn away from her.

This, she abruptly realized, was probably what the Four Horsemen wanted. Genjuro’s death. Emily’s attempt on Miku’s life. The publication of practically everything about them. Bit by bit, they were deliberately and steadily tearing away at the simple, everyday life with Miku and their friends that Hibiki had fought so long and so hard to protect. And in doing so, they tore at the adaptors themselves.

And worst of all, there seemed to be nothing she could do about it.

—

Today, Kirika decided, was one of the worst days she had ever had at Lydian. Not the worst day in her life, thankfully, but it was up there. The glances and whispers of her classmates, both the hostile and not, were wearing at her. Kuriyo’s announcement at lunch that she was being pulled from the school had only made things seem even worse.

But still, she decided as she flushed the toilet after attending to her business, she had to keep a bright attitude. For her friends in general and for Shirabe in particular. She reached for the stall door and undid the lock…

And froze as she heard the bathroom door bang open and what sounded like two different pairs of feet enter.

“-ink Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi are heroes?”

Kirika knew that voice. It was one of the other second years at the school. What was her name again? Kabara? Kabata? Kavata? Something like that. Still, they were talking about her and Shirabe? Kirika found herself paralyzed by indecision. Stepping out now would be super-awkward.

The other voice was completely unfamiliar to her. “I mean, they’ve got those superpowers, and they’ve saved the world several times over. That seems pretty heroic to me.”

“Only after working as members of a terrorist group that used_ the Noise_.” Was the flat response as Kirika heard the water in the sinks be turned on.

“Oh... “ The other voice replied, suddenly full of realization and regret. “Kawada… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean too…” The voice trailed off, not knowing how to continue.

Kirika’s eyes widened in recognition... Kawada Iwa, that was her name. She had a few classes with Kirika, but they had never particularly interacted. She always seemed rather withdrawn from everyone else, save one or two classmates.

“Akatsuki in particular.” Kawada was continuing. “I mean, I thought she always seemed so bright and cheerful. I was a bit jealous of her then. But now? It’s like she was mocking us. She helps kill all those people, gets away scot free, and she smiles about it?”

Is that what everyone thought of her now? That wasn’t right. She didn’t smile and laugh because of that. Kirika wiped at her eyes. When… when did she start crying?

“At least Tsukuyomi had the good graces to figure out which side was awful on her own.” Kawada sniffed. The water stopped running.

Kirika audibly sobbed as her legs gave way and she slid down to the floor.

“Hm? Hello? Is someone there?” The other girl called out. Kirika suddenly held her breath as she heard the pair of footsteps approach the door.

“That sounded like someone was crying.” She heard Kawada mutter lowly just outside, the tinge of concern in her voice just made Kirika feel even worse. “Hello? Are you okay?”

Kirika didn’t reply, desperately wishing they’d go away. It was only a moment too late that she realized she had already undone the lock. There was the sound of a fist knocking against the stall door and it swung open at the impact to reveal Kawada Iwa standing before it.

Her gaze fell immediately onto Kirika and Kawada’s face quickly cycled from concerned to surprised to angry. She hissed. “Akatsuki… were you spying on us?”

“N-no!” Kirika said quickly. “I was already here and I thought-”

“Thought what?!” Kawada interrupted, already working herself up into a furor. “That if you cry some crocodile tears, I’d just forgive you like that?! The world would have been better off if you had died!”

Something in Kirika broke and the tears well and truly flowed now. “I’m sorry…” Was all she could manage. “I’m sorry…”

“Kawada!” Kawada’s friend said in horror. Kawada stepped back, looking taken aback for a moment by both Kirika’s breakdown and her friend’s reaction. For a moment, she looked like she had found a kicked puppy before regaining her earlier outrage.

“S-stop trying to trick us! I’m not buying it!” Kawada yelled, trying to muster up anger at the murderer in front of her.

Kirika couldn’t take any more. Sobbing, the blonde shot to her feet, an action which caused Kawada to flinch back in sudden fear that Kirika was about to use her powers on her. Instead, the Symphogear adaptor ran from the room, leaving a stunned Kawada and her friend behind.

\----

Chris was not proud to say that she now knew what being a celebrity was like. In her august and most eloquent opinion, it sucked giant donkey balls. Not as much as, for example, being kidnapped and trafficked or getting beaten by the man you hate until you ache all over, but it still managed to be… oh, probably somewhere in the lower part of the top ten worst experience in her life so far. She didn’t understand how Tsubasa or Maria could have handled it all this time.

Dodging the reporters had been easy enough with the tricks Tsubasa had taught her yesterday. Unlike Lydian, with its lone main entrance, the college she attended had a wide open campus with plenty of ways to get in and out. It was simply impossible for them to adequately monitor everyone, and with a wig, a cap, and some sunglasses, she had managed to slip right by them.

But once on campus, she had made the mistake of shrugging out of the wig and cap. Now, wherever Chris went, people would turn and stare with surprise, awe, or, on occasion, a bit of anger. Whenever she approached someone, even some students she had thought of as… not friends, but rather close acquaintances, they’d get all stiff and super-formal with her in a manner that was just as super-uncomfortable for her. Not to mention all the people who thought it would be a good idea to yank out their phones to snap a photo of her, probably to post it on social media or something. ‘_Why does the news industry still bother with photographers when the person on the street could do the job just as well?_’ She wondered.

Even the professors would pause noticeably when they first saw her in the room. They tended to avoid calling on her if there were multiple hands up to a question and were noticeably more gentle in correcting if she gave a wrong answer. Chris even worried that she was distracting some of her fellow students, given the way they kept glancing at her even in class.

And worst of all, Komichi was nowhere to be found. Chris texted her after she failed to appear at the first class they had together, and she hadn’t replied during the entire thing. Only after class had already ended did she finally got a response.

_I’m still trying to process it all. I’m sorry. If I can, I'll try to see you later this week once I’ve figured things out._

It was an amazingly properly written text for Komichi, who, like most college students, tended to be a bit lazy and neglectful when it came to things like proper grammar in text messaging. That in itself only made Chris worry more.

She sighed as she tapped her pencil at her notes. The period for the current class was finally tying up and this one she was actually looking forward to. Not because she was particularly fascinated by biology but because of who was teaching it.

“And do remember the test is Friday.” Professor Makoto finished, turning to begin erasing what he had written on the board. “Class dismissed.”

Chris immediately leaped up and began to approach the teacher.

“Sensei!” She called out.

At her voice, the professor didn’t suddenly freeze like some others she had called out to ask a question. Instead, he calmly turned and removed his reading glasses. “Yukine. How can I help you?”

Yukine. No ‘Sama’ or ‘Dono’ or any other crap like that, Just Yukine. And he didn’t start adopting some grovelling tone with her either. It was like she was still just another student. A few of the other students who were filtering out turned their heads at this but he didn’t pay them any mind.

“I saw your interview on Saturday.” Chris said. “You know, about the Custodians. And I was curious… well...”

“You wanted to know what I think about SONG?” Makoto caught on quick. He glanced towards the door where a few more students had stopped and very pointedly not turned around to listen. “Perhaps you would like to talk more about this in my office?”

Chris glanced at the same students, noting how quickly they resumed moving when she did. “Yeah, that would probably be for the best.”

Professor Makoto’s office on the college wasn’t his main one, and it was certainly on the smaller side, but there was easily enough room for the two of them to fit in it. It actually seemed kind of cozy, despite the single window positioned right behind the professor’s desk looking kinda small. Chris grabbed the only other chair in the room as the professor sat down at his desk.

“So, what do you want to ask first?” Makoto asked once they were seated in his office.

“Well, I know what you think of the Custodians.” Chris began. “But what do you think of the Symphogears?”

“That depends on what you mean?” Makoto asked. “The Symphogears… or the Symphogear adaptors?”

Chris paused to consider the question. She was actually surprised that he even asked it: most of the news she saw weren’t doing a good job at making the distinction. “Let’s start with the Symphogears.”

“Well, and forgive me for answering a question with a question once again, but what do you think of this pencil?” The Professor indicated the pencil holder on his desk, although he didn’t actually specify a pencil.

“Ah well…” Chris bumbled about for moment. “It’s just a pencil, isn’t it?”

“Precisely, just a pencil.” The Professor said. “And best I can tell, your Symphogears are just Symphogears. Tools whose use depends on the user.”

“Okay, fair enough.” Chris said. “And the adaptors?”

“You’re great heroes who deserve far better lives then what fate has given you.” The Professor said instantly.

Chris startled, rather flummoxed by the blunt reply for a moment. Her mind immediately latched onto the solution of just asking the next question before she said something really embarrassing. “And what do you think of the Four Horsemen?”

“Well, that’s the question, isn’t it?” Makoto said. “What have the Four Horsemen done? Well, they’ve released all this information. That’s regrettable, since it has probably done you and the other girls an injustice, depriving you of peaceful lives you have fought so hard for. Their antipathy towards you is puzzling to me. But I understand their antipathy towards the custodians and their products.”

Chris looked at him long and carefully. “You… you share some of that anger, don’t you? Not just intellectually like you said at the interview, but personally.”

The Professor looked at her expressionlessly and Chris winced. “I’m sorry, it’s not my place to pry-”

“No, that’s not it.” He said, a sad smile crossing his face. “You of all people deserve to know. It’s… my granddaughter. She was at the Zwei Wing concert. Their last concert. She didn’t make it.”

Chris’s mouth fell open and then shut again.

“When I heard that the Symphogear adaptors had managed to destroy the Noise,” Makoto continued. “First, I went to my granddaughter’s grave and told her. Then, I went to the nearest shrine and prayed to all the Kami I could think of in thanks that what had happened to her would never happen again. And when I learned that you were one of those adaptors, I felt proud to have you as one of my students. And also happy that I can finally say: thank you.”

Chris blushed, her eyes falling to the floor. The uniform praise was uncomfortable but it was also the first time today she felt genuinely happy.

“Yukine.” The Professor said. “I know it must be a difficult time for you. I know there will be people who will be unfair to you, for the bad things you’ve done. But there will be people who are also grateful for the good you’ve done. I don’t imagine that you have much support outside of SONG at the moment, and I don’t know if what they offer suffices, so just know...” He took out his business card and offered it. “If you ever need somewhere uninvolved with all this to go, my door will always be open.”

Hesitantly, Chris reached out and took the card. She wasn’t sure how to reply to that verbally. One part of her wanted to accept it wholeheartedly. Another wanted to put up her usual front, insist it wasn’t necessary. Finally, she decided to keep it simple and gave a noncommittal “thank you” as she stood up.

“Don’t forget the test is Friday.” Professor Makoto called out, “I hope to see you then and perhaps next term too if possible.”

Chris waved her hand in acknowledgement. As the door closed behind her, the Professor’s gaze lingered on it for a good long while. “Would never happen again.” He repeated to himself.

He quickly checked the clock. He had a good thirty minutes before he had to head out, more than enough time to get some additional work done. He took a moment to turn and close the blinds on his office window before returning to his computer.

\----

“Hello, Emily.” Maria said as she sat down next to the figure lying on the hospital bed, strapped down in case she woke up and tried to escape or hurt herself. “We met your aunt this weekend, just like you said we would. She was… intense.”

Maria wasn’t entirely sure herself why she had taken it upon herself to be the one to visit Miku’s would-be-assassin. Sure, there was some resemblance to Serena there, but it was only passing. Then again, she had been the one to initially talk with Miku back when she had captured her in FIS. Maybe looking after prisoners was just something in her nature?

She wasn’t even sure if Emily could even hear her. The girl’s eyes were open and her chest rose and fell regularly, but those were the only signs of life from her. According to the medical staff, there was nothing biologically wrong with her, and yet she might as well have effectively been dead. Emily would just stare listlessly at the ceiling all day, fall asleep whenever exhaustion overtook her, and then woke up just to do it again.

She wouldn’t eat food that was brought to her but neither did she resist when they had to use a feeding tube. And the less said about when she had to… relieve herself, the better. Suffice to say, the bed sheets had to be frequently changed. It made for an utterly pitiful sight.

“Did your aunt put you up to this? Did she even know you tried?” Maria muttered, wishing it had occurred to one of them to ask that night. “She cared for you. She still cares for you. I could tell that. So why would she permit this?”

Emily did not answer. She didn’t even give any indication she had even heard. Maria sighed, and closed her eyes. On a whim she decided that since she sang for Miku all that time ago, she might as well sing for Emily too.

“_The apple floated in the sky._  
_The apple fell down to the ground._”

As Maria sang, she thought back to what Caprice had said that night. She had to have known this was coming, Maria knew, to taunt her that way. Unlike the others, Maria had sat down to actually watch the news, she had seen the footage of pundits and protests calling for her to be tried and jailed. She had seen interviews where the sobbing families of those killed in the Frontier Incident now blamed her. She had seen them scream in rage at the lie she herself had agreed to perpetuate.

But even that didn’t tear at Maria as badly as when many of those same pundits, protestors, and families did the same to Kirika and Shirabe. She had only agreed to lie to the public for their sake, after all. They were the only family she had now, and no matter how scary facing the repercussions for her actions, the thought of anything happening to those two absolutely terrified her. She silently prayed to any deity she could to protect her girls whenever she wasn’t around to do so.

Maybe that was why she decided to watch over Emily. A good distraction from her fears. Another way to atone.

“_The stars were born, the songs were born._  
_The Lulu Amel-_”

Emily did not let her finish the line. No sooner had the words “Lulu Amel” drifted out of Maria’s mouth then did Emily come awake and howl.

—

Fujitaka lifted the coffee cup to take one, long, slurp. Ogawa had tasked him to look over prospective applicants for a public relations position, since the recent events clearly meant that SONG couldn’t just lean on the UN’s own PR teams for that. Fujitaka had managed to talk Tomosato into letting him finish this one last profile then he’d finally go to take a break.

The sudden wail of the alarm systems caused him to jerk back, splashing coffee all over his shirt. He barely avoided choking. Up on the main screen, angry red letters glared down at the bridge crew: [UNKNOWN OUTER PHYSICS SIGNATURE DETECTED]

Fujitaka suddenly desperately wished Elfnein hadn’t gone to the lab.

Ogawa raced into the bridge, took one glance at the screen, and his eyes went wide. “Location?!”

“Location is…” Tomosato’s eyes widened in shock. “The medical bay?!”

The floor beneath them briefly shook.

—

At the sound of Emily’s scream, the two SONG agents posted at her hospital door turned in surprise. Then the alarms started ringing. The two men exchanged a glance, drew their sidearms, and turned to the door just in time for it to be smashed across the room by Maria, already clad in Airgetlamh’s armor, being flung into it. So violent was her passage that the two agents were thrown away.

A blur of white followed Maria out, striking directly after her. She rolled out of the way just in time for it to smash into the opposite wall, driving an enormous dent into. Springing to her feet, the Airgetlamh user turned and held out her armed gear defensively.

Emily rose to her feet and turned, still clad in her white hospital gown. Save for the fact she was up and mobile, she seemed the exact same as when comatose with one extremely obvious exception: her eyes had been replaced by a pitch blackness that appeared to ooze and tremble as if it was tar being sloshed around in a bucket.

“**_Kill the custodian. Kill the custodian._**” It was still Emily’s voice that uttered those words, if raspily from dehydration, but she didn’t so much speak the line as she seemed to breathe it with each exhale. “_**Kill the custodian. Kill the cust-**_”

Maria tensed, expecting her to suddenly strike again. Instead the blackness seemed to abruptly boil away, revealing Emily’s normal blue-green eyes. She blinked, a look of confusion passing across her face before her eyes rolled away into her head as she collapsed to the ground.

“Maria!” Maria turned at the shout to see Tsubasa storming towards her already transformed. “What’s going on?!” She said as she ran up. “The bridge said they detected Outer Physics here! What happened?!”

“Emily.” Maria finally found her voice, turning back to where the girl lay on floor. “I was… I was singing Apple to Emily. And then it was like she was suddenly possessed by a demon or something. She tore out of her restraints and attacked me so fast… I barely had time to transform.”

The two agents who had been by the door had picked themselves up and had their guns aimed down at the unconscious girl. One nudged her with his foot, but the collapsed body didn’t respond. Tsubasa’s gaze drifted across the hall, from the doorway, sans door, to the dented wall and then down to Emily herself. “Did you defeat her?”

“I didn’t have to.” Maria said. “The… whatever it was seemed to burn out on its own suddenly and she collapsed.” She glanced up. “An extended fight against that could have been really bad.”

“Yes.” Tsubasa said, releasing her transformation now that the danger was past. “But what was it in the first place?”

—

A lone figure stood on a pier across the harbor from where SONG’s headquarters was docked. An uncommon frown drawn across his face as he stared at the submarine. For the trillionth time he cycled through a memory vaster than any human could comprehend in an instant and came up with nothing. That had not been in The Record. But then again, he himself had also not been in The Record.

The frown vanished, replaced by his usual inexpressiveness. That meant this was something new… something new! From this? Like himself? An interaction? Yes. An interaction! It must be. That made sense. Just like before, with himself. But what were the two elements? There was that, of course. But what was the second part? The song? It couldn’t be. Mere singing wouldn’t produce such an interaction. But wait… no, it wasn’t just any song. It was that song. The one that contained…

Ah. That would be why.

He understood now. So long as he understood, it was something he could factor in. The Pale Man turned and walked away, vanishing down the pier.

\----

**Next Chapter:** Sky of Fiction

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The genesis of this fic is fundamentally rooted in several questions I asked myself when I first marathoned the series back at the start of October. One of those questions was “what would happen if everything the girls did during the series became public knowledge?” This chapter is the start of my attempt at answering that question.
> 
> The idea of Hibiki actually being something of an unknowing chick magnet at Lydian is shamelessly stolen from the 2014 Super Heroine Chronicles crossover game, where apparently she manages to accidentally seduce a large portion of the female cast of Infinite Stratos. Or at least that’s what the internet tells me. I can’t find any english translations of the games to confirm it. Probably a good thing Miku apparently isn’t in that game. She’d probably go a bit yandere.
> 
> This chapter also brought out a line (“Symphonic lesbian agenda”) I’ve been waiting to use for awhile. Because I found it to be an inherently funny line, conceptually speaking. Plus, you just know it’s something that’d be thrown out there unironically by certain elements if this actually happened.
> 
> I can't help but notice that the number of commenters on the fic has really dropped off these last couple of chapters. I hope all those people who were supporting me so much haven't been turned off by something or another.
> 
> Finally, stand by for an omake to this chapter to be posted shortly.


	8. Sky of Fiction

Distortions  
Chapter 8:  
Sky of Fiction

\----

“Are you sure you don’t need me to come down there?” Chris asked skeptically into her communicator. The evening sun hung low in the sky as she walked home. She had only donned the wig long enough to get away from the college campus, the thing itched, but she still had the cap and sunglasses on.

“The situation with Emily is quite contained at the moment.” Tomasoto assured her. “She seems to have lapsed into a genuine coma from it. We’ve moved her out of the submarine and into an isolated facility on the base as well, so even if she wakes up with those Outer Physics powers again, the initial damage should be limited.”

“If you say so. Just don’t forget to call me if things go sideways.” The Ichaival wielder concluded before hanging up. Chris continued to look at the phone for a while more, a thoughtful frown on her face. After all the shit that happened during the weekend, now there was this. Well, at least it sounded like they had it under control.

Now to see how many reporters were still camped outside her apartment after three days of her not being there. With her luck, the answer would be ‘too many’.

“Excuse me, but are you Chris Yukine?” A voice asked from behind her.

Chris turned to look at the speaker. A man in casual street clothes with an uncomfortably eager expression on his face. “Who's asking?”

“Terauchi Kyuso.” He introduced himself quickly, pulling out a notebook and pen. “I'm a freelancer at the moment, but I was wondering if we could do an interview for my news blog?”

Oh good god, one had managed to find her on the street. Chris quickly glanced around. Not a lot of people out on this random sidewalk and, this guy aside, those who were didn’t seem to have recognized her. With only a little bit of luck, hopefully some of these people were plain-clothed agents if this guy got too pushy.

“I’m not authorized to make any statements to the press.” Chris tried to put every ounce of displeasure she felt with this turn of events into her voice, turning back away from him. “There will be a press conference on Wednesday where Tsubasa Kazanari and Maria Candazevna will be answering questions. If it has to be me, there will be another press conference next week that I will be attending.”

_‘And that’ll probably suck too.’ _Chris groused to herself.

Unfortunately, Terauchi didn’t seem to want to accept that. “Come on!” He said, following her like an overeager hunting dog behind its master. “They never let independent guys like me into those sorts of things.”

“Sorry to hear that.” She replied. ‘_Go away._’

Terauchi refused to take the hint. Chris was beginning to suspect she was probably going to have to launch it into him with a missile before he did.

“What is it like to be a superheroine?”

Chris ignored him, instead choosing to idly wonder whether to drop the “y” from his surname and just call him “kuso”.

“Can you give me your thoughts on the Four Horsemen? Why do you believe they are upset with you?”

Maybe she should just shout like he was a molester? That might scare him off.

“What was your relationship with Finé? Were the two of you lovers?”

Chris abruptly came to a halt. She felt her face burning up as she turned. Did he _really _just decide to go there? “I’m sorry, but what did you just ask me again?”

Terauchi blinked. “Erm… I asked about your relationship to Finé? Do you think that was in a way a continuation of your experience in Val Verde or-?”

“Listen here, _Kuso_,” Chris snapped, deciding that was a perfectly fitting name for him after all. All the bullshit she’d been through and this asshat thinks it’d be a great idea to harass her? She was officially _done_. “Me and my friends are having our lives turned upside down because of fuckers like you! We didn’t ask to be made public, and we didn’t want the attention! Why? Because we’d have to put up with bullshit like this!”

Terauchi took a momentary step back at her outburst, his face a mask of surprise and confusion. “I… well…”

“So _fuck off_ before I have some SONG agents haul your ass off to the brig! Or maybe I’ll use Ichaival to drag you there myself! Think you’d like that, huh?!”

Terauchi took off so fast that one would think Chris _had _transformed with Ichaival. Chris glared daggers at him until he vanished around the corner. Then she turned and punched the wall of the building they had stopped next to. Who the hell did he think he was, asking her stuff like that! She glanced around and noticed one of the passerby’s had apparently started recording her during her rant. Upon noticing her glaring at him, the man hastily pocketed his phone and quickly walked away.

Chris took a deep breath, trying to wrestle her temper under control as she resumed her trip home. She hoped to god the press conference wasn’t going to be like that. Snapping open her bag, she pulled the wig back out. She could handle the itchiness if it meant she didn’t have to deal with that sort of thing.

—

Terauchi Kyuso fumed quietly as he climbed the stairs to his apartment. When he had first spotted Chris Yukine out on the street, he had thought that the heavens had finally delivered a gift to him. An opportunity for a street interview with a Symphogear! What luck! He even had prepared a list of questions for such an eventuality!

And she had tried to brush him off. Then she exploded on him. Then she _threatened _him. He had been scared at the moment when she did that, but now that he had gotten away from her he felt mad. All he wanted was a quick interview, help the people get to know the Symphogears better. What was wrong with that? Hell, wouldn’t that help her?! Not to mention, maybe a good news company finally hiring him...

He sighed as he reached his apartment floor and made his way towards his room, reaching into his pocket for his keys.

“I like your drive but you definitely could have handled that better.” A voice said behind him. “Still, you do have something you could start with here.”

Terauchi blinked in confusion before turning. The man who had said that was looking at his phone but he had been definitely addressing Terauchi.

“Can I help you?”

“Possibly.” The man replied. “Depends on how you might use this.” He turned his phone around and pressed play on the video he had brought up.

_“So _fuck off_ before I have some SONG agents haul your ass off to the brig! Or maybe I’ll use Ichaival to drag you there myself! Think you’d like that, huh?!”_

Terauchi blinked a few more times in incomprehension as the video of Chris Yukine humiliating him echoed across the balcony floor.

“Riveting stuff, isn’t it?” The man said. “One of the world famous Symphogears is willing to insult, belittle, and even threaten a member of the press. Makes you wonder whether she’s really fit to have that kind of power. What do you think?”

Terauchi considered it for a few moments, scratching at the back of his head. “I… guess you could make that argument. Yeah. I can see it.” Maybe he could make a blog post along those lines. Although there was the rather obvious question. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I’ve got a possible job offer for you.” The man said. “Some associates of mine would probably like to hire you. I know some people in the Data Gazette. Heard of them?”

“I’ve got some familiarity with it.” Terauchi admitted. It wasn’t a huge magazine by any stretch of the imagination, but it did publish worldwide. Apparently, it had been bought out a couple of months back, but the new management hadn’t really done anything substantial with it.

“You still have that notepad and paper? I could give you their number.” The man continued. “Regular pay, decent working hours, good conditions. Allegedly, they even have an inside source with the guys who leaked all that stuff about the Symphogears. You could start writing articles tomorrow about the latest developments.”

Was this really happening? An actual job offer? Terauchi reached for his notepad and pen. “Yeah, sure. That sounds great.” He passed it over. It was only as the man was writing out the phone number that he realized he hadn’t gotten his name. “Hey, uh… what’s your name anyway?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry too much about that.” He said, handing the notepad back. “Just tell them Mr Gonbei from the Fifth Seal recommended you. They’ll know what it means. Hey, what’s your e-mail? I could send you this video...”

\----

Foreign Minister Masahito Shibata glared defiantly at the figure who had invited herself into his office unannounced. He ignored the pain from the hand he had used to reach for the silent alarm and which was currently impaled to his desk by a knife. He was honestly much more upset she had knocked away most of his Soba.

“I should have figured one of your kind would try something like this.” He bit out.

“Do not lump us in with those heretical freaks.” Jwa Ji-Eun replied haughtily, her sword tip pressed against the old man’s forehead, squarely between his eyes. “Unlike them, we know how the political system of the world actually works. And we know how to use it to burn SONG down.”

“Do you honestly think killing me will make them any _less _determined to hunt you down?” Shibata challenged.

“Of course not.” Jwa thrust the _Yeonggwanggeum_ forward into the man’s head. “On the contrary, that’s what we’re counting on.” She whispered with a grin.

She held the pose a moment to watch the life in Shibata’s eyes fade, making sure he was dead. Then she yanked her sword back out, flicked the blood off of it and returned it to its sheath before Shibata’s corpse had time to topple forward onto his desk. Next, she pulled her combat knife back out of his hand and turned to go.

She paused, glancing at the last carton of unspilled Soba left at the corner of the desk, a pair of unused chopsticks positioned on top. Jwa brushed the chopsticks away and took a pull straight from the cup. Hmm. She supposed the man did know his noodles, she’d grant him that.

Dropping the carton to the floor, she turned back to the window she had snuck in through and leapt out, disappearing into the night.

\----

Shirabe was able to tell something was up with Kirika even _before _she had returned from the bathroom the previous afternoon. Mainly due to the unusual amount of time it took. When the blonde came back, it took Shirabe just one look to see that she had been crying her eyes out despite her attempt to hide it with an upbeat smile. She couldn’t have fooled Hibiki, not with eyes that red and puffy. The only reason that Hibiki and Miku _hadn’t _tried to press the issue was because Shirabe asked them not to.

Shirabe had asked Kirika what was wrong the moment they were back in the safety and privacy of the Lydian dorms. The blonde had first tried to brush it off by insisting that there was no problem. But when Shirabe had pressed further, Kirika swiftly broke down into incoherent sobs. The most the Shul-Shagana user was able to get out of her was that someone had told her she would be better off dead.

Shirabe hadn’t seen Kirika this badly off since the blonde had tried to turn Igalima on herself on the Frontier. And _that _memory brought to mind this ‘suicide letter’ Kirika apparently still had. That night, Kirika had clung to her as hard as she did in the aftermath of Frontier. It all left the Shul-Shagana user quite afraid for Kirka... and determined to find whoever had made her cry.

So the next morning, Shirabe went around the school asking subtle questions to the students and teachers when she had the time. Given Shirabe’s standards of subtlety weren’t much higher than Kirika’s, all of her questions were some variation of “do you know why Kirika was crying?”

In practically every case so far, the answer had been a highly formal “No, Tsukuyomi” Sometimes, they tacked on a‘-sama’ at the end, which she found a bit annoying. But Shirabe couldn’t afford to be bothered by that today though. She was a girl on a mission. Some of the teachers she asked offered to look into it themselves, but Shirabe politely turned them down. She would handle this herself.

And finally, she hit the jackpot.

“Yes.” The girl said quickly. “I… I was there. Someone got angry at her.”

Shirabe’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”

“She… well.... _please_, Tsukuyomi. Please don’t get her in trouble or…” She gulped. “Hurt her.”

“I promise.” Shirabe answered quickly. The sooner she got to the bottom of this, the better.

“It was Kawada.” The girl said. “Kawada Iwa. She… well, it isn’t my place to say why, but she found Akatsuki listening to us in the bathroom and got mad at her.”

“I see.” Shirabe said flatly. “Do you know where she is?”

“Not at the moment.” The girl was almost panicking. “But please, I’m begging you! Don’t hurt her, she’s not a bad person!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Shirabe said as she turned away. “I promised, after all.”

—

Shirabe found Kawada sitting on a bench positioned just outside across from one of the school buildings, a pair of headphones in her ears and her eyes closed with her head tilted back. The volume was up loud enough that Shirabe was able to make out the tones of classical music. Kawada opened her eyes as Shirabe’s shadow fell over her and nearly jumped out of her skin at the pig-tailed hair girl’s gaze.

“Tsukuyomi!” She said hastily as she yanked out her headphones. “What do you want?”

Shirabe simply levelled one of the calm, almost robotic stares she was known for at the other girl for a few moments, causing Kawada to shift nervously.

“You said some nasty things to Kiri-chan yesterday.” The coldness in her voice probably could have terrified Shem-Ha.

Kawada scowled, despite the shiver running down her spine. Shoving her things away in her bag, she stood up with a huff and turned away from Shirabe. “Maybe I did. What of it? I don’t regret it. I could say some nasty things about _you_.”

“Oh?” Shirabe asked. “Then do so. To my face.”

“What?” Kawada turned around in surprise.

Shirabe took a step forward menacingly, tilting forward in just the right manner to cause Kawada to scurry aside yet turning to follow so that now their positions had practically come one-eighty: she was facing the bench and Shirabe was facing the school wall. “I said: do it. To. My. Face.” Shul-Shagana’s user repeated, emphasizing her words.

“You…” Kawada began but seemed to choke on her own words. “I…”

Shirabe took another step forward, causing Kawada to back away again by a step. Despite her smaller stature, Shirabe seemed to loom immensely over the taller girl.

“I can’t hear you.” The pig-tailed girl said, forcing Kawada back another step. And another. And another. A few more steps later and Kawada’s back was against the wall. Desperately, she cast her gaze about for someone to help her. There were some classmates and even a teacher nearby who were watching the scene, but they averted their gaze when she looked their way.

Kawada looked back at Shirabe, trying desperately to keep the tears of fear from welling up. Shirabe simply cocked her head to the side for a moment before she leaned in, her voice dropping to barely above a whisper. “I don’t want you to _ever _say something like that to Kiri-chan again.”

Summoning her last ounce of courage, Kawada managed. “A-a-and what if I do?”

She flinched when Shirabe’s eyes narrowed. “You won’t. Because I’m asking _nicely_.”

And with her last ounce of courage exhausted, Kawada broke and ran like hell. Shirabe simply watched her go and nodded in satisfaction. One problem dealt with. She frowned and turned away. Now how was she supposed to make Kirika feel better?

—

Kawada Iwa burst out the door onto the roof of the building, panting. The adrenaline rush brought on by her fear was wearing off, and she now regretted running up the stairs so quickly. The aching of a pulled muscle forced her to sit down by the wall. She looked down upon the people in Lydian’s outside courtyard. She should have been eating lunch with her friends. Instead, she was hiding on the rooftop, half-terrified that Tsukuyomi would burst in at any moment with those enormous hair-buzzsaw-things she had seen in the news footage. Half-terrified… and half-embarrassed. Why did she have to be so weak?

It seemed easy enough with Akatsuki. Slumped in the bathroom stall and looking so pathetic, it hadn’t occurred to Kawada to think of what the girl was capable of. It felt so good to tear into her after all these years of emptiness. But Tsukuyomi…

Tsukuyomi had reminded her quite forcefully of exactly what these girls were. They weren’t normal people. They were endowed with supernatural powers. They fought against monsters that defied human comprehension and _won_, and they were hailed as heroes because of it. Compared to that, what was she? Just another piece of regular human detritus.

She clenched her fist. They had used the Noise to murder people! They had worked with Doctor Ver! But because they were so extraordinary, almost everybody hailed them as heroes, and their crimes got swept under the rug! Hell, one could see that just from the confrontation with Tsukuyomi, when that teacher looked the other way! Where was her justice? Where was… where was...

“Where is Katai’s justice?” She muttered, her voice bitter and tears stinging at the corner of her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” A new voice asked her. Her head came up. He was a tall man with sunglasses and a dark outfit, which was a bit unusual for a warm day like this one.

“Who are you?” Kawada asked the man standing over her.

He simply tilted his head towards the rooftop shed, where some of the cleaning supplies were stored. Oh, one of the school janitors.

Wiping at her eyes, she stared back off into the distance. “I was thinking just how unfair it was about those Symphogears who did all those awful things and yet they just… get away with it.”

Kawada wasn’t usually much of a rambler, but at the moment she just felt the need to bare her soul to someone.

“My little brother disappeared one day while going to baseball practice, about two years ago.” She began. “I was attending Lydian’s fall fair, since I was going to start in the spring and wanted to see more of the campus, so I didn’t learn about his disappearance until I got home. We later learned that he and his two friends were believed to be victims of a Noise attack down by the docks, along with a detachment of American soldiers who were there.”

Then her gaze hardened. “And then, just this weekend, I learned that Dr. John Wayne Vercingetorix was his murderer. He used the Noise to kill my brother, and those two were _helping _him! And Maria Cadanzevna Eve… she was there too! Not only did she help the Doctor, she stuck with him to the end and then lied about it for years! She’s worse than Akatsuki!”

Suddenly quite pissed, Kawada snatched up her half-empty juice carton, finished the rest of it, and then threw it at the rooftop fence, directly striking one of the columns. The janitor didn’t react to her possibly adding to his workload, but Kawada felt a little guilty about that anyways and resolved to pick the carton and dispose of it properly in a bit.

“And when it all comes out, do they get punished? Do the politicians and the judges finally decide to do their job? NO! Everybody’s treating them like deities! The people who actually want them to, you know, pay for their crimes? They’re in the minority! There’s even a few assholes who think _Dr. Ver_ was a hero because of that whole thing with the alchemist brat and the Château! They get away with murdering my brother because they’re Symphogears!” She squeezed her eyes shut and practically shouted. “_It’s not fair!_”

The man simply listened patiently before finally speaking again. "All these feelings... what's the point stewing when you’re too scared to use them productively?"

Kawada turned suddenly at that. “I’m not scared!”

The janitor just stared at her, raising one eyebrow. Kawada could feel his questioning look even behind those glasses. She looked away, unable to meet his gaze for a moment. Then she gave in. “Okay, yes.” She curled her legs up to her chest. “I’m scared. I’m weak, powerless. Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki are both smaller than me, yet either one could probably break me like a twig with their powers. Never mind what the other Symphogears could do.” She growled. “I hate it.”

The janitor remained silent for a few moments at that. “Knowledge is power.” He finally said. “More knowledge, more power.” He paused briefly for dramatic effect, adjusting his glasses so that the light shined off of them. “Less fear.”

Kawada looked at him then looked at the ground, staring at her lunch contemplatively as she mulled over the man’s words. If she knew more, then she’d be more powerful? She wouldn’t be as afraid?

An idea came to her, lifting Kawada’s spirits like the wind. A wonderful, amazing idea. This talk was just the thing she needed.

“Thank-” Kawada’s head came up only to find the janitor was gone. “-you?”

She supposed that made sense, janitors on a large campus like Lydian probably couldn’t afford to chat for long. Still, she hoped he got some rest. He must have been ill. Skin that pale didn’t look healthy.

But enough of that. First, she had to finish lunch. Then, she’d do some research online. She had to go through all the documents if this was going to work.

—

Kirika huddled close to Shirabe as the two stepped from the building, hand-in-hand Late-afternoon had arrived, class was over, and soon all the students would have to leave. They’d have to meet up with Miku and Hibiki to figure out how to sneak past the inevitable reporters-at-the-gate again. Yumi’s cosplay idea the day before had worked, but it wouldn’t be long before they caught on. Not to mention it was kinda embarrassing.

Kirika was doing a bit better by now, much to Shirabe’s relief. The latter had managed to recruit their third-year friends into lifting Kirika’s spirits by roping her into planning a “we’ll always be together” party for Kuriyo on Saturday. That had worked… to a degree. Kirika’s smile was still a bit too brittle for Shirabe’s liking, and sometimes, she started blanking out in the middle of a conversation, which would prompt Shirabe to hug her tightly, but at least she _was _smiling again.

Kawada peered at the duo from around a school buildings corner for a moment. She took a deep breath to prepare herself. She had spent most of the afternoon thoroughly going through all the official documents that had been released on the web, reading carefully the analysis. Even in class, when she probably should have been paying a bit more attention to the teachers. But she had to do this. Besides, it was all test prep at this point, and her grades were decent enough that she could afford it.

Steadying herself, she stepped out and began to approach the pair.

Both spotted her coming straight for them. Kirika shrank back, but Shirabe stepped forward protectively. A fresh rush of fear shot through Kawada at the latter’s movement, but she pushed through that. She had to do this.

“Akatsuki!” At her shout, they both tensed: Kirika in fear, Shirabe in readiness. Kawada knew she had to push on quickly and threw herself into the deepest bow she could manage. “I’m sorry, please forgive me!”

Both blinked in surprise.

“I said terrible things to you yesterday.” Kawada continued quickly, maintaining the bow. “And I’ve been thinking about it and I realized it was awful of me. I was so upset because my brother was killed by the Noise that I took it out on you, when really I should be just blaming Dr Ver.” ‘_And Maria and Dr. Nastassja_,’ Kawada thought to herself, but she suspected saying _that _wouldn’t help her. “And then I thought about how lonely you must be recently, with everyone keeping their distance, and I realized it was so unfair to blame you when you’re going through all of this. So please! I want to be your friend!”

There was silence for a long moment. Kawada was pretty sure some of the other students nearby had turned to stare at the scene. She wanted to look up to gauge how she was doing with Kirika, but then she was worried that it might ruin her chances. She hoped Kirika or Shirabe gave her a definite answer soon, this was embarrassing.

Not to mention her back was starting to hurt.

“Okay.” Kirika finally said. “I forgive you.”

“Eh?” Now Kawada looked up, not quite believing what she had heard. Shirabe, who was still torn between satisfaction at the about-face and her earlier anger for what at Kawada, also turned to look at Kirika curiously for a moment before nodding and stepping back alongside her girlfriend, choosing to trust her.

“I want to be your friend too.” Kirika said. “Not just to forgive you. Not just because I’m lonely. But also because I’m sorry. You were right that I stuck by the Doctor for a lot longer than I should have.” She reached out her hand and smiled what felt like the first genuine smile she had given since returning to Lydian. “I’m Kirika Akatsuki, it’s nice to meet you.”

Something poked at Kawada’s heart at that. Something that felt like… guilt? She stamped down on it by remembering Katai. She reached forward and accepted her hand. “Kawada Iwa, it’s nice to meet you too.”

As she said this, Shirabe moved immediately to her right and was staring at her intensely, although thankfully it was inscrutable rather then the cold stare of this morning. Kawada replied with an uncertain smile. “And… you too, Tsukuyomi.”

Shirabe didn’t reply for a few moments. Finally, the Shul-Shagana user answered. “I’m willing to give you this chance, for Kiri-chan’s sake.” She leaned forward, eyes narrowing and whispered. “Just remember what I _nicely _asked you to do earlier.”

Kawada gulped but forced herself to nod in response. She had to do this. She couldn’t remain afraid. Once she wasn’t afraid anymore, she’d probably have to go after Shirabe first.

“Kirika! Shirabe!” A new voice said and the three turned to see Miku and Hibiki approaching. Kawada’s eyes widened. So focused she had been on getting to the youngest two Symphogears that she had forgotten about the older, more genuinely heroic (in her opinion) pair. The prospect compounded the intimidation she felt. At first, she thought about making an excuse and leaving. But then she realized, this was an opportunity… she could use this to learn more. Know more. Become more powerful.

Miku glanced curiously at the taller of the second-years. “Who’s this?”

“I’m Kawada Iwa!” She bowed. “Tachibana, Kohinata, a pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh…” Hibiki’s eyes lit up, glad that there was _someone_ outside her usual circle of friends who was finally talking to them in a friendly manner. “Are you a friend of Kirika and Shirabe?”

“It’s… kinda complicated.” Kawada admitted, pausing to glance at the two. Kirika nodded reassuringly while Shirabe simply remained watchful. “But I hope so, yes.”

\----

“Do you think they’re ready for this?” Souji Ogawa asked his younger brother as they watched the motorcade pull up to the front of the Foreign Ministry from the second floor. It was the day of the press conference, and the front of the building was a sea of reporters and security. SONG agents, the Tokyo police force, and even plain-clothed SDF personnel were ensuring a safe cordon and escort for what were now two of the most famous people on the planet.

“By the time this starts, they’ll be as ready as they can be.” Shinji replied. His mind was in three different places at the moment: the imminent press conference, SONG’s worsening political position, and the more detailed reports that had come in from the SDF about the bodies and equipment they had recovered from the Four Horsemen. He and Souji had already agreed it would probably be best to brief Maria and Tsubasa on that subject after the press conference, and the other adaptors after they finish their tests on Friday.

But he didn’t have as much time to spare for thinking about that as he would have liked. Now, he stood with his elder brother, who had effectively volunteered to take Shinji’s old position within SONG as chief of intelligence and information management section, albeit only until the Four Horsemen were dealt with. It placed them in an odd situation. On the one hand, Souji was the head of the Ogawa clan, so he was Shinji’s superior within it. But on the other hand, Shinji was the acting-commander of SONG, and that made him Souji’s superior within SONG’s command structure. It was probably a good thing they had a good personal relationship, or this situation would be problematic.

Another thing he regrettably didn’t have much time to think about was Emily. The girl was still in a coma and showed no signs of waking up any time soon. But as soon as Elfnein saw the Outer Physics signature that appeared when Emily was possessed, she had immediately yanked up the energy signatures she had detected when Emily first came into their custody. Save for the strength, they were identical. That left Shinji with little choice: he authorized further research into the signature, although the research on the Anti-LiNKER antagonist and phonic gain poaching device the White Noise used still had greater priority.

The Chinese proposal for the disbandment and replacement of SONG in the security council had been shot down in flames, naturally. Vetoed by the US and Britain. Russia and France had abstained. Of the members with veto power, it was only China who voted for it. But they hadn’t been the only ones to vote “yes”. A number of more minor East Asian powers, some of whom weren’t even Chinese allies, had backed the Chinese. Of course, the American and British veto made that rather irrelevant in a practical sense, but it showed that SONG was no longer a widely-supported organization in the region, a worrying development.

The bigger issue was the Chinese acting on their threat to withdraw funding. This left a hole in SONG’s budget that Ogawa was having problems covering. He had managed to get additional funds released from America and Japan, although he suspected the assassination of Minister Shibata had helped with that, and outsourced as much of the intelligence gathering costs as he could to the various governmental intelligence agencies. But that still left them burning through reserves right now. They still had enough to make it through the year, allowing for inevitable emergencies with the Four Horsemen, but it left the issue of what would happen if this lasted into the next year.

Ogawa hoped it wouldn’t come to that. All the previous major incidents had only lasted months, at most. But then all the previous incidents had been against groups much smaller than the Four Horsemen appeared to be. That just left the press conference.

The two Ogawa brothers watched as Tsubasa and Maria climbed out of the middle car, surrounded by an entourage of SONG agents, and made their way towards the entrance. The reporters who wouldn’t actually be at the press conference immediately shouted out their questions as if they would actually be answered. There was also a storm of quick flashes as photographers snapped up their pictures.

“Commander Ogawa?”

They both turned at that. An exhausted looking man in a rumpled business suit with tie was approaching them.

“Shinji or Souji?” The younger of the two brothers asked.

“Shinji Ogawa.” The man clarified.

“That’s me.” Shinji confirmed.

“Good, I’m Ippei Yoshigahara.” The man said. “The PR consultant you asked for. Sorry for the appearance, but my flight just got in from California and I spent the entire flight reviewing the material you sent me and getting my notes in order.”

“I understand, Yoshigahara.” Shinji nodded to his brother. “This is Souji Ogawa, my brother and our acting intelligence director.”

“A pleasure.” Yoshigahara eyed the elder brother for a moment. “You’re not talking today, are you?”

“I’m not.” Souji confirmed.

“Oh, good.” Yoshigahara sighed. “Not only was I not prepared for you, you’d be a hard case to work with. You’ve got scary eyes.” He paused. “No offense.”

Souji blinked as his younger brother chuckled a little. The three men turned their attention back to Maria and Tsubasa as they reached the front doors of the ministry. Shinji frowned as he noticed the two seemed to be glancing over their shoulder at something in the crowd of reporters, but when he followed their gaze, he couldn’t see anything amiss. He glanced over at his brother who had done the same thing but could tell from the minute down turn of his lips that he couldn’t make anything out either.

Then they were in the building and the question became moot.

“We best go meet them.” Shinji said, turning to head towards the meeting room set aside for them. Souji and Yoshigahara falling in behind him. They made it to the conference room a good minute ahead of time.

“Tsubasa, Maria,” Shinji said as the two adaptors stepped into the meeting room. “Good to see you made it safely.” He indicated his brother and the PR direct. “This is my brother Souji Ogawa and our new PR director, Ippei Yoshigahara.”

Everyone respectively bowed to each and exchanged the usual “Nice to meet you”s.

“We all know why we’re here today, so we best not waste any more time.” Shinji glanced at the newest member of the SONG staff. “Yoshigahara?”

Yoshigahara nodded and stood up, taking some papers out of his bag as he did so.

“The order of the press conference will be Commander Ogawa, Kazanari, and Cadenzavna Eve.” He said, pronouncing Maria’s surnames flawlessly. It was one of the reasons Shinji had brought him in: he was fluent in both Japanese and English, having had experience in public relations campaigns on both sides of the Pacific, so he understood how to handle a multicultural environment. “Commander Ogawa and Kazanari will each give an opening statement, then take questions. Cadenzavna Eve will take questions, then give a closing statement.”

Maria nodded in understanding but Tsubasa blinked. “Why the switch up with Maria?”

“Serial position effect.” Yoshigahara said. “In a series, human memory remembers the first and last items best and the middle items worse. I expect the media to be most hostile to Maria, so it is best she gets the final say while leaving her question and answers in the middle.”

Tsubasa’s eyes narrowed despite Maria’s nonreaction. “On what basis do you think the media will be most hostile to Maria?”

“Statistics.” Yoshigahara said. “Cadenzavna Eve has consistently ranked lowest in all of the popularity and trustworthiness polls with any degree of reliability. She stuck with Doctor Ver the longest and then agreed to propagate a very public lie. The truth of the matter being revealed so suddenly has tarnished her public image the most out of all of the Symphogear users.”

Maria closed her eyes and inhaled. It was what she expected, but it still hurt a little to hear.

“That’s ridiculous!” Tsubasa demanded, anger coursing through her veins. “What choice did she have?!”

“Tsubasa, he’s right.” Maria said, opening her eyes. “It’s not an issue of what you, I, or he thinks. It’s what the media and public thinks.”

Yoshigahara nodded. “Human beings are not perfectly rational and logical creatures, either individually or en-masse. Our perceptions are not infallible, even if we do not have prior biases. I took the opportunity of researching public opinion on the plane ride. It’s very preliminary, but the apparent order of public popularity, from most to least, is Tachibana, Kazanari, Kohinata, Yukine, Tsukuyomi, Akatsuki, Cadenzavna Eve.”

Tsubasa sat back and thought about it, trying to put herself in the mindset of someone who would know nothing of the Symphogears except what was released. It made a lot of sense.

“Although Yukine has apparently slid a little since that incident with that one reporter went online.” Yoshigara clarified as he checked his notes again before glancing over at Shinji. “I’ll need to speak with her about that. Even if he was harassing her, she should have handled that more constructively. It will be bad for her image if she keeps threatening reporters.”

“It’s probably best you get to know her first.” Maria said. “Yukine tends to react one of two ways with people she doesn’t know very well: either shy and avoidant or short and sharp. And trying to lecture her is liable to provoke the latter. You don’t want to ruin your working relationship with her, especially if you want to help her.“

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Yoshigahara said, quickly scrawling a note on a spare piece of paper. “The good news is that in no case are we facing a crisis in widespread public outrage, either against SONG in general or any of the adaptors specifically.” He paused once more. “And in the latter case, that actually does go for China too. There’s a lot more awe and appreciation. Most people really do think of you as heroes.“

Maria frowned. Now that didn’t really seem to jive with what the TV was saying. Sure, she heard some expressions of support but the footage of the families of the Frontier Incident sobbing and blaming her or Kirika and Shirabe remained stuck in her mind. “What makes you say that?”

“Statistics.” Yoshigahara repeated. “Again, these findings are extremely preliminary, but even the worst polling shows widespread trust and respect for all of you. That isn’t to say there isn’t hostility. Far from it. It’s just that the media are amplifying those with the most hostility because they tend to be far more vocal.”

Maria sat back, gobsmacked by the revelation. So… she might not be as hated as she thought she was? She thought about it for a few moments. Her own guilt over the Frontier Incident and perpetuating the lie could act as confirmation bias in regards to how widespread she thought the outrage was based on the anecdotal evidence of program watching. It made sense.

“There’s really two major issues here as far as PR is concerned.” Yoshigahara continued, holding up a finger. “The first is getting control of the conversation, telling our side of the story instead of letting other people draw conclusions for us. We’re already dealing with that in these press conferences, although this one feels a little rushed to me. It probably would have been good to give us another day or two, but I’m given to understand the Security Council has been impatient. I have some ideas on that moving past next week, but it would probably be best to wait.”

He held up the second finger. “Second, expectation formation and betrayal.”

“What do you mean?” Tsubasa asked.

“Looking over the histories, your records honestly paint a pretty positive view of you as adaptors once you get past the... rough starts.” Yoshigahara elaborated. He paused to stifle a yawn. “I can say that I have had to deal with much more difficult client than you ladies. However, that record can become a trap. People are going to come to expect more from you. And if you do something that violates that expectation, they are going to react harshly, even if you might have a good reason. And since you’re in the public eye now, there’s a greater possibility that might happen.”

“People don’t react well to the unexpected, huh?” Maria mused.

Yoshigahara nodded. “Precisely. The damage from that can never precisely be undone, but it can be mitigated. That gets back to the issue of conversation control though.” He started sorting through his papers, “Turning to the immediate issue of _this _press conference...” He pulled out two sheets, both stapled, sliding one towards Shinji and one towards Tsubasa. “Here are the preliminary opening statements I drafted for you two. I didn’t have much time on the airplane between all the other research, so treat them as rough guidelines.” He looked over at Maria. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to improvise your own closing statement.

Maria sighed. “It’s alright, it can’t be helped. Fortunately I have some experience with that.” “And please, if we’re going to be working together, call me Maria.”

“I’m glad to hear it, Maria.” Yoshigahara leaned back. “Ideally, I’d like to try and anticipate the questions too, but there wasn’t enough time for me to compile my notes on that given everything else.” He glanced up at his watch. “Nor unfortunately is there enough time now.”

Everyone likewise checked their own clocks. Sure enough, the scheduled top of the hour was fast approaching.

“Before we go, one last very quick thing.” Souji finally spoke up, having remained silent throughout most of the meeting. “We noticed you two looking over your shoulders as if something was wrong when coming in. What was that about?”

“The Pale Man.” Tsubasa said instantly. “We saw the Pale Man with the reporters.”

There was a moment of silence.

“The who?” Yoshigahara asked, puzzlement clear in his voice.

—

“Are you ready for this?” Tsubasa asked Maria. She knew the older women’s habit of hiding her nerves with an air of confidence far too well.

“It doesn’t really matter does it?” Maria said as she peaked through the curtains at the crowd of reporters, both domestic and foreign, making their final preparations. In the back, an array of television cameras were already filming. “This is happening whether we want it too or not.”

Tsubasa thought for a moment. “Think of it as like an idol press conference. Just it’s about using a Symphogear instead.”

Maria’s face scrunched up in thought a bit before she sighed. “It isn’t helping.”

“Then how about this.” Tsubasa took Maria’s hand in her own.

Immediately, the pinkette lit up. “Tsubasa!”

“Nobody can see us.” Tsubasa said. “Just until we actually have to go out there. Is it helping?”

Maria paused. “A little, thanks.” Then a question occurred to her. “Wait, are you just using this as an excuse to hold my hand?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Tsubasa replied, although her voice was a little too defensive and there was a slight blush on her own face.

Shinji smiled at their exchange and briefly allowed himself to wonder when those two were going to get around to just admitting _it_. God knows, the younger adaptor couples had already beaten them to it. Then the smile disappeared as he noticed one of the staff in the back wave towards the curtains. “Ladies, it’s time.”

Reluctantly, the two released their hands, the feeling of the other’s touch still lingering on their palms. They filed out from behind the curtains single file, the only noise in the room being the clicking of cameras and occasional cough of a reporter clearing their throat. There were two podiums, one of which Ogawa moved to stand behind, and a pair of chairs against the wall in which Maria and Tsubasa immediately took a seat.

“Good day.” Ogawa began, pausing for a moment at some feedback to let the microphone adjust. “I am Shinji Ogawa, acting-commander of SONG. We have gathered here today in response to the public outcry for information following the unauthorized disclosure of details regarding the supernatural incidents of the past two years and the Symphogear adaptors themselves. I will be making a brief opening statement and will answer any initial questions before giving two of the adaptors, Tsubasa Kazanari and Maria Cadenzavna Eve, the opportunity to speak for themselves and answer any further questions the press might have.”

Both Tsubasa and Maria carefully maintained appropriate posture and pose as Ogawa spoke. They could never be sure when the cameras were focusing on them.

Ogawa took one last glance at the papers Yoshigahara had given him. “Over a year ago, the Squad of Nexus Guardians was founded under the auspices of the United Nations to combat large-scale international supernatural disasters that exceed the ability of conventional human response as well as to regulate the growing field of ‘heretical technology’, most notably the Symphogear system. Because of security concerns for our most vital personnel, we have operated in a largely secret environment. We will admit, we had intended to do so for the foreseeable future. However, due to the recent leak of information by the organization known as ‘The Four Horsemen’, which has also declared itself in opposition to SONG and all heretical technology, it has now become impossible to maintain this policy.”

Ogawa turned the page. “We wish to emphasize that SONGs purpose behind hiding information, most particularly about the Symphogear adaptors, was not out of a desire to deceive the public. Rather it was done with the wish to ensure the safety and security of our personnel. Moving well beyond the capabilities of the Symphogears, the adaptors are valued within SONG as people first and foremost, people with hopes and dreams for their own lives and future, people who wished for their daily lives to be untainted by the stigma of wielding the Symphogears even though they also wished to protect the world. The desire to remain anonymous was theirs and we sought to respect that desire. Though we do apologize to the public for the deception, our deepest regret is that we can no longer fulfill that desire.”

He turned to the last page. “Finally, we know that some of the adaptors have taken action in the past that could be considered criminal and there have been calls for them to be punished for those crimes. They claim to want justice. Our answer to these calls is that what they desire by this point is not justice, but revenge. In each and every case where the adaptors have committed wrong, they have long come to recognize their misdeeds, regret them, and sought to make up for them. And since their reform, they have behaved with distinction and honor that often exceeds even what we here at SONG have come to expect of them. We ask the greater public to weigh those wrongs they have committed in the past against the good they have done since.”

He flipped the stack back closed. “Now, I will be taking questions.”

A few hands went up. Ogawa nodded to one at random. The woman stood up. “Why are only two of the Symphogears here today?”

“Symphogear _adaptors_.” Ogawa politely corrected before moving onto the answer. “The other five all are attending school and hence have prior commitments. It is exam week, after all. We will be hosting an additional press conference next week to give them the opportunity to make their own statements and answer questions. In the interim, we politely ask members of the press _not _to place pressure on them by attempting unauthorized interviews or otherwise impeding their education. Next question?”

Hands went back up and another reporter was selected. “How do you respond to the accusation that the majority of the Symphogear… adaptors are underage and that this represents a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions in regards to the recruitment and employment of child soldiers?”

Ogawa nodded in acknowledgement of the questions. “SONG takes this accusation very seriously. First, we wish to emphasize that in no case do we _force _our underage adaptors to fight. We do not pressure them to fight and have on several occasions denied them permission to do so against their wishes when we believed doing so would present undue risk to them.”

He took a sip of water. “Secondly, SONG’s job is not just to combat the supernatural with the adaptors, but also to support and regulate the adaptors. Even when not fighting, the reality remains that only the adaptors can use the Symphogears due to their unique synchronization requirements. We thus have to ensure they are educated to use that power responsibly, as it will be something they need to handle for the rest of their lives. Their employment is not just a matter of fighting supernatural disasters, but also ensuring their own safety and security from those who would exploit them.“

‘_As if we really need it at this point._’ Tsubasa thought, thinking back to how far they all had come.

“And finally,” Ogawa concluded. “SONG is not in technical violation of any of the rules and regulations regarding the use of child soldiers. The relevant articles prohibit the recruitment and employment of children under the age of fifteen and none of the Symphogear adaptors entered SONG’s employ at that age. Next question?”

Several hands remained. Ogawa nodded to one of them and the reporter stood up. “Could you explain why SONG felt the need to conceal certain information even long after there was any need to? What possible reason, for example, could there have been to conceal the Noise as ancient autonomous weapons after they were all destroyed?”

“I’m afraid the answer to that is simple inertia.” Ogawa replied. “Just as there was no further need to conceal them, there was also felt to be no real need to declassify material since it was felt that it didn’t matter anymore. We admit that this has been an oversight and SONG will be making a greater effort to be more transparent with the public in the future. Are there any more questions?”

No more hands went up. Ogawa waited a moment, both to give the reporters time to figure out another possible question and buy a bit more time before glancing over to Tsubasa and nodding. Quietly steadying herself, Tsubasa rose and took the remaining empty podium.

“I am Tsubasa Kazanari, wielder of the relic Ame No Habakiri, United Nations designation SG-r01.” Tsubasa began. “I became the first Symphogear adaptor when it was discovered I was compatible with Ame No Habakiri. I will admit that I have since played a dual role, as both a warrior using the Symphogear to protect humanity and as an idol who sought to use her music to help soothe the wounds of those protected. I did not wish for my identity to be revealed because I did not want my songs as an idol to be associated with my songs as a warrior, thereby bringing pain instead of healing it. I hope my fans will understand my reasons for this deception and forgive me for it. Even if they don’t, I wish to thank them for being my fans, for listening to my songs, and I hope that these revelations will not undo the healing they brought you.”

Tsubasa took a sip from her own glass of water. “I also have to echo my superior, Shinji Ogawa, in asking the public that they do not judge my fellow adaptors who have committed misdeeds in the past purely by those. Though I fought to stop them, the truth is they have always sought to do what they believed was right. When they realized they were wrong, they have not hesitated to try and make up for their mistakes. They have saved not just my life, but the lives of many others time and time again. They are not just comrades in arms to me, but close friends and confidants. I ask that you forgive them not as an idol or Symphogear adaptor, but simply as Tsubasa Kazanari who knows and cares for them.“

Then, in a moment of inspiration, she stepped back from the podium just enough to bow. “Please.” She said loudly, letting the emotions she felt as she composed those words flow from her voice. Not too much, though, she couldn’t afford to choke. “Forgive them and forgive me.”

From where she sat, Maria found herself having to hold back tears.

Tsubasa righted herself and stepped forward. A glance around the room told her that her show of emotion had an impact. Many of the reporters looked taken aback for a moment, a few shifting uncomfortably. She composed herself carefully. “I will now take any questions you have.

A positive ocean of hands surged up, with even a few “Kazanari!” or “Mrs Kazanari!” thrown in there. Tsubasa made a show of looking around but there wasn’t much point in trying to be selective. In the end, she basically choose at random.

“You stated that you hid your role as a Symphogear adaptor so it wouldn’t affect how people thought of your songs. Now that these leaks have forced that status in the public, how do you see them impacting your career moving forward? Will you continue singing?”

Okay, simple enough question. Easy enough answer. “I don’t know how it will impact my career. That is why I have made no decision to quit yet. I intend to continue singing, to continue to try and be an idol until I can better see how everything is affected. Next question?”

Again the hands raised, again the Tsubasa selected a reporter. "There are rumors that you are in a romantic relationship with either your fellow adaptors Chris Yukine or Maria Cadenzavna Eve. Would you care to comment on either of these assertions?"

Okay, that was a bit more personal. But it wasn’t like Tsubasa hadn’t faced similar questions in idol interviews. Although asking if she was with Chris was new. “I am not currently in a romantic relationship with either of them. I hold Yukine in high regard as a friend and Maria as my closest friend and confidante, but in neither case are we involved in that manner. Next?”

Maria had heard Tsubasa give that answer before, sans Chris, to idol reporters before. Maria couldn’t help but admit though, every time the denial did make the pinkettes heart tighten a little.

Tsubasa selected another reporter who had their hand raised. "One of the two adaptors known to have died in combat was Kanade Amou, your partner in Zwei Wing, at a concert the two of you hosted. Do you feel that there was anything that you, as her partner, could have done to save her?"

Tsubasa’s spirits fell a little, but her long history of schooling herself in front of the press meant that not a hint of it showed. She had been asked about how Kanade’s death had affected her before, but never had she been asked if she thought she could have done anything. Back when everyone thought she was just an idol, the answer to that question was supposed to be self-evident.

“For four years I have agonized over that question.” She said. “For four years I have wondered if there was something I could have done. Maybe I should have sung a Swan Song instead of her? Maybe I should have been stronger so a Swan Song would be unnecessary? Maybe I should have acted faster instead of waiting for Kanade to move so we could have destroyed more Noise faster? Maybe I should have recognized Finé’s deception sooner? In the end, I have to admit: I simply don’t know. I miss Kanade dearly but my memory of her selflessness and the world she helped me realize is one of the many things that helps to keep me going.”

Tsubasa let them take a moment to recognize that she was done replying, mainly so she could have a little time to get a handle on the emotions that answer had started to arouse. When the hands did come back up, she quickly selected someone else.

The reporter stood up. “You have indicated that you regret Ms Amou’s death, but what about the loss of life among others who attended your concert? Don’t you feel that it was reckless to host concerts when these supernatural villains already knew of your identity and would target them?“

Until now, the questions had been rather neutrally phrased but that one… that one was more than a little leading. Tsubasa’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Of course I deplore the loss of life lost to the Noise, the Autoscorers, and Noble Red. But in no case was I even aware they knew my identity and targeting me until after they struck. I acted as soon as I could in each case to try and minimize the loss of life and focused my efforts on defeating the menace.”

The reporter, however, wasn’t done. “But earlier you indicated that you could have acted faster to destroy Noise at the Zwei Wing concert, in order to possibly render Ms Amou’s death unnecessary. Not to mention the reports indicate that at the Queens of Music Festival, you deliberately held back on using your powers even after Ms Eve had let the audience evacuate until the feed could be cut. Doesn’t that all rather contradict your claim?”

Maria’s grip on her chair tightened.

“I…” Tsubasa said, not quite sure how to respond to that follow-up for a moment. “I don’t know. It’s something else that I wonder about.” She finally finished lamely.

Fortunately, the reporter seemed to accept that answer and took his seat instead of pressing further. Tsubasa could only hope that Yoshigara’s comment about the serial position effect was right.

A signal from one of the staff caught Ogawa’s attention and he quickly moved to speak before she could call on another reporter. “I’m sorry, but we’re running low on the time allocated for Kazanari. We will take one more question then we will have to bring in Cadenzavna Eve.”

Tsubasa let herself make one last show of being selective and indicated the next reporter.

”According to information received by my station, you have recently inherited the Kazanari Foundation. The recent revelations have caused a lot of controversy over the organization’s role in the recent Shem-Ha incident as well as its history and degree of influence over the Japanese political system. As the new head of the Kazanari Foundation, would you like to make any comments about these allegations?”

From behind the curtain, Souji Ogawa raised an eyebrow a millimeter. That had not been in the leaked reports. He would have to look into where exactly that station had gotten that information. It was possible they had just done their research in the days before the conference but one could never be too careful about that.

Tsubasa, on the other hand, nodded eagerly. “Yes, I would be happy to discuss them. It is my opinion that my grandfather, Fudou Kazanari, grossly abused the Foundation for his own ends and twisted vision, leading directly to the Shem-Ha Incident. Additionally, I actually agree that the amount of power and influence amassed by the foundation is excessive and harmful to Japan’s political tradition. That is why I intend to make sweeping changes to the organization to reduce its influence and ensure that it can never be abused again as it has in the past.”

A cruder part of Tsubasa that she very rarely indulged in also mentally added, ‘_So suck it, Jwa.’_

“And I’m afraid that is all the time we have for Tsubasa Kazanari today.” Shinji Ogawa announced. Tsubasa nodded to him and stepped away from the podium, starting to return to her empty chair. Maria took that as her own cue to get up and begin making her way over to the podium.

As the two passed, Tsubasa whispered to her friend, “Good luck.”

Maria nodded slightly in response and took her position behind the now empty podium. “I am Maria Cadenzavna Eve, wielder of the relic Airgetlamh, United Nations designation SG-x00.” She opened. “As announced at the start of the press conference, I will be taking questions first and then giving a statement. First question?“

Like Tsubasa, an ocean of hands rose. Like Tsubasa, Maria made a show of pretending to be selective. Unlike Tsubasa, however, she actually did exercise a little bit of selectivity: she avoided calling on the reporter who had earlier asked the leading question.

“According to the leaked information, you and your sister were held a specialized orphanage as potential ‘receptors’ for the consciousness of Finé.” The first reporter she called began. “While the receptor children orphanage was exposed earlier and the rest of the children found homes, my station has recently learned that several of the children have gone missing in the past few months. Given your relation with the orphanage, do you have any idea where the children may have gone?”

Maria blinked, taken aback by the news. But there was only one answer she could give to that. “No. I was unaware that any of the children were missing. My heart goes out to them and I hope desperately that they are okay.”

Though the news that some receptor children were missing was worrying, her spirits were also buoyed by the easy question, so it was with a bit more confidence that she selected the next reporter.

"What made you go along with Dr. Ver for as long as you did?"

And just like that, the extra bit of confidence was gone.

“Because I thought his way would genuinely save the world.” She injected all the bitterness she felt over those memories into her answer. “I thought _he _could genuinely save the world. I was wrong and I hate that I followed him for as long as I did.”

But the reporter had a follow-up. “So it wasn’t because you and the Doctor were in an intimate relationship?”

‘_What?_’ Ogawa blinked in confusion.

‘_What?!_’ Tsubasa’s eyes widened.

“What?!” Maria’s voice rose in astonishment and disgust. It took every bit of self-composure she had to avoid shouting it. “No!” She shuddered at the thought. “_God_ no! Dr Ver was the worst and I regret _ever _believing in him.”

The reporter actually seemed a bit sheepish at that as he sat back down. To get those disgusting thoughts out of her mind as quickly as possible, Maria almost immediately called on someone else.

“Do you think your sister would be proud of you, if she knew _everything _that you've done?”

Maria felt her grip on the podium tighten. They were going to use Serena against her too? “No. I don’t think she’d be proud of _everything_.” She answered. “Knowing her, I think she would forgive me for what I did wrong and be proud of what I have done right.”

She mentally braced herself before calling on the next reporter.

She knew it was going to be another leading question when she saw the sly smile on the reporters face. "What makes your actions now any different from those of your time with FIS? Could you still be mistaken in how you're going about 'saving' lives?"

Maria actually paused to think of the answer to that question. Then the perfect answer came to her. “Well, I’m working for a government organization instead of an anti-government organization for one. For another, my actions at SONG haven’t culminated in them trying to crash the moon into the earth yet. So I guess those are two good indications I’m on the right track this time.”

The smile did indeed disappear from the reporters face and there were even a few chuckles from some of the others in the room. Maria called on one of those next.

“How would you characterize your relationship with the late Dr Nastassja?” He asked.

“Mom…” Maria began, but she paused as the momentary good humor she felt was replaced with melancholy. “Mom was strict with us but she did care about us, I know it. She also thought that what we were doing was right at first, although she probably realized the earliest of any of us that it wasn’t which was why she tried to negotiate. I won’t say all my memories of our time with her were good ones, many weren’t. But I am ultimately glad we knew her.”

She called another one.

“There have been a number of people who have called for you and to a lesser extent three of your fellow adaptors, Shirabe Tsukuyomi, Kirika Akatsuki, and Chris Yukine. Do you believe a trial is appropriate and will you come to one if called?”

Maria had thought about her answer to this one, although the addition of Chris were new. “I leave whether I should be tried or not up to those with the authority to do so. If I am called to be tried, however, I will accept it and I will accept whatever judgement the jury makes. For the others, however, I will unhesitatingly say: no. Shirabe and Kirika were both underage and conditioned for years to obey Mom and Dr. Ver. They also believed they could save the world from the falling Moon. In the end, despite their age, they proved to be wiser than I was and turned against the Doctor before I did.” She paused to consider the other mentioned adaptor. “As for Yukine, I cannot speak based on what she has done, that happened before we met. I can only speak for how she has behaved since and I will unhesitatingly say that despite her rough mannerisms, she has been exemplary as a comrade, caring as a senior to Shirabe and Kirika, and as loyal a friend as anyone can ask for. So based on that, no I do not believe she should stand trial.“

Hands began to come back up as it became apparent that Maria was finished answering but Ogawa cut in at another signal from one of the staff. “I’m afraid that’s all the time we have for today. Cadenzavna Eve will make a closing statement before we depart.”

‘_Okay,_’ Maria thought, ‘_Let’s do this._’ Aloud, she began. ”I’m sorry I don’t have the time to answer all your questions. I wish I did. I wish I could explain everything. I do not know if everyone would accept my reasons, but I do hope everyone would understand. However, there is one question in particular I know is on everyone's mind yet we did not have time to address that I would like to answer my own initiative. Namely, the question of why I agreed to propagate the lie that I was an infiltrator for the FIS. I have heard accusations that I agreed to this to save my own skin.”

She paused for a moment, letting her initial words sink in. “I did not. I did not accept the cover story for my own sake. I did it for Shirabe and Kirika, the two girls who are the closest things to family I have left. I know there are those who blame them too and for who such an explanation will not suffice. I know many of these people do so because they have lost family and loved ones. So I ask them: think of how you felt towards those people. Would you too have accepted such a lie if it meant protecting them? I hope that will help you understand.”

“Thank you, Maria.” Ogawa said, before turning back to the crowd of reporters. “And thank you everyone for coming.”

The room was filled with a rabble of voices as the reporters began to pack up their things and photographers rushed to take just a few more images. Ogawa calmly but quickly ushered Tsubasa and Maria back behind the curtain they had come out.

The moment they were through, the two looked at each other and sighed with relief. They had survived for now.

—

“As the expert, how do you think that went?” Souji asked Yoshigara as they all took their seats back in the meeting room.

“Better than I feared, worse than I hoped.” The PR director replied. “Kazanari’s plea at the end of her opening announcement was a stroke of genius but I have to admit she botched that follow-up question. Maria handled herself quite well in the face of some difficult questions. Responding to that dig at her with some humor was a good move. Any more then that will have to wait until I can at least review all the footage while not sleep deprived.”

“At least it’s over.” Maria’s relief was quite apparent, but she quickly got serious. “Anyway, Ogawa...”

Both Souji and Shinji looked at her.

“Oh… uh…” Maria looked between the two somewhat awkwardly. “I meant Shinji Ogawa.”

“I suppose it would be best if you have some way to refer to us separately.” Shinji chuckled.

“Director Ogawa.” Souji pointed to himself. Then he pointed to his brother. “Commander Ogawa.”

“That will have to do for now.” Maria nodded. “You indicated there was more to this?”

Tsubasa sat a little straighter at that, also recalling that Commander Ogawa had mentioned that.

“Yes,” Commander Ogawa said. “We’ve received more details from the Self-Defense Force about the bodies and equipment recovered from the Château attack.”

“Hold up.” Yoshigara said quickly. “Should I be here for this? I received a letter of clearance from the Security Council but it wasn’t very clear on how far it goes.”

“Clearance to SONG personnel is organization-wide.” Commander Ogawa answered. “But this isn’t related to your job, so it’s your choice.”

“In that case, I should take my leave.” Yoshigara replied, placing notes back in his briefcase. “The sooner I get some sleep, the sooner I can take a look at the press conference footage and start preparing for the next one.”

Everyone else simply nodded their farewell. They waited until Yoshigara shut the door behind him before Commander Ogawa looked to his older brother and nodded with a simple, “Director.”

“First, the soldiers.” Director Ogawa began. “As far as their equipment goes it was all what you’d expect from looking at them: the usual assortment of infantry weapons, combat gear, light body armor, gas masks, optical goggles with night vision. Only three things are unusual. First, all of the weapons are completely new designs. Second, the Anti-LiNKER gas grenades. And third, their communication earpieces, which were built into the masks they wear.”

At that, Director Ogawa reached into his vest and pulled out a photograph which he passed over to Tsubasa, with Maria scooting over to look as well It was a photograph of one of the communication earpieces, disassembled.

“They don’t use radio.” Director Ogawa continued. “Nor do they use laser, sonic, or electromagnetic, which are all the current standard forms of wireless communication.”

“So then what are they using?” Maria asked.

“We’re not _completely _sure.” Director Ogawa said. “But the Self-Defence Force experts identified several miniaturized versions of components generally found in quantum computers.”

“Wait, so you are saying they probably are using _quantum entanglement _for communication?” Tsubasa breathed. “No wonder nobody has been able to find their wireless signals.”

Commander Ogawa added. “Especially since the use of quantum entanglement in practical communication was still thought to be decades, if not centuries off. Yet the Four Horsemen have miniaturized and mass produced devices capable of it on a large scale. All the soldiers you fought were equipped with them.”

“And that brings us to the soldiers themselves.” Director Ogawa added. “First, DNA testing across all of the bodies recovered has confirmed that the soldiers are perfect matches for the military personnel who have gone missing over the last several months and whose disappearance prompted the cancellation of UN peacekeeping missions worldwide. The really strange thing is that there’s only the same several dozens DNA matches across roughly five hundred recovered bodies.”

“They’re clones?” Maria said in astonishment. Full human cloning was banned worldwide, but that wasn’t why Maria was surprised seeing as the Four Horsemen obviously weren’t concerned with legality. “But those soldiers only disappeared months ago. Even if we assume they used their genetic material as the base, the resulting clones would still take the same amount of time as any human to be birthed and come of age.”

“With current cloning technology, yes.” Commander Ogawa said. “Which leaves use with two possibilities. Option one, the Four Horsemen have discovered a completed relic which allows for the mass copying of human beings.”

“Which would be unusual for an organization supposedly ideologically against the use of relics.” Tsubasa observed.

“Right. Although there is a possibility they might be hypocritical on that: they might still have Sefer HaChaim.” Commander Ogawa agreed. “Option two, the Four Horsemen have access to much more advanced cloning technology. And given the _other _strange thing about the bodies, it looks like it’s the latter case.” He nodded to his brother to continue.

“The biggest difference was found in the brain and nervous system. A number of pathways in these regions were severed or even outright removed. The implications of the alterations indicate the soldiers had no ability to feel emotions, no sense of self-preservation, no pain reflexes, a reduction in abstract thinking, and not even a semblance of free will. The neurological experts the Self-Defense Force talked to stated that this is a hypothetical genetic engineering technique referred to as ‘nerve-stapling.’ It’s supposed to be as far off as practical quantum entanglement for communications.”

“So, layman's terms, biologically they’re human-” Tsubasa began.

Maria finished. “-But mentally, they’re only a few steps above Noise.” She thought about that: according to this information, the Four Horsemen had an army of nerve-stapled clones at their disposal. And what’s more, “If they have the technology to do this, what else do they have the technology to do?”

“And where are they getting it?” Tsubasa added. “I mean, we’re talking technological leaps of decades and centuries being achieved in mere months. The alternative is that they’ve found relics capable of doing all of this, but relics are unique while these-” She waved the photograph of the quantum communication device. “-are mass-produced.”

“Not to mention their professed hatred of relics.” Maria added. “Perhaps they’re using some relics with the intention of destroying them if they win?”

“It’s a conundrum we’re still looking into.” Director Ogawa said. “But let’s turn our attention to the aircraft. Again, nothing about the weapons systems were unique. They were unmanned but the electronics device in the cockpit seemed to have been mainly devoted to more quantum communications, except larger and more sophisticated, likely for remote control. There were innovations in the engines that apparently had the engineers the Self-Defense Forces talked to excited, but nothing too noteworthy there. The really important thing for us is what they are made of.”

“The Self-Defense Force identified several different forms of previously unknown composites and alloys.” Commander Ogawa said. “All superior to anything currently in use. We’re completely baffled as to how they were refined. However, they have managed to identify several notable rare earth minerals in their material composition.”

“And that’s given us a lead.” Director Ogawa concluded. “We’ve tasked the intelligence agencies we’re coordinating with to sort through global purchasing and shipping of those REMs, looking for unusually large purchases to industrial facilities that don’t have a corresponding output of products that would usually requires these materials.”

“Of course.” Tsubasa said. “Wherever the composites and alloys for these aircraft were refined and presumably the aircraft themselves were manufactured is probably some form of Four Horsemen facility. A base. Find the shipments, find the base.”

“Then we can hit them back.” Maria said. It was the best news she’d heard all month.

\----

The first day of testing was over, and Chris was all too happy for that. She had long grown tired of everyone acting so strange around her. It seemed as though Professor Makoto was the only person there that treated her like a normal human being. Everybody else treated her at best like a princess and at worst like a goddamn alien. Worst of all, she still couldn’t get into contact with Komichi! The girl had stopped responding to her text messages and everything. What was with her?

For a moment, Chris wondered if she had done something wrong. Komichi wasn’t exactly very sure of herself. She let herself be pushed around too much by others, something Chris had tried to correct since the two of them had become friends. But maybe Chris had become too pushy too?

She brushed those thoughts aside. She shouldn’t blame herself for no reason. That path wouldn’t be productive. No, whatever the case was, she and Komichi were friends, and she’d never would do anything to hurt her. Right?

Chris’ thoughts were interrupted by her eyeing a familiar yellow headband in the crowd. Doing a double-take, Chris saw Komichi walking down the hall towards the next class.

_‘Like hell, I’ll let her_,’ Chris thought. There was no way her friend was going to get away from her. Not after all those times she ignored all of Chris’ text messages. She wasn’t going to lose her friend!

Deftly walking through the crowd, Chris made her way to Komichi and tapped the other girl on the shoulder. “Hm!” Komichi nearly jumped out of her skin at the surprise tap and turned around. Her expression froze as she stared at Chris.

“Hey, whe-” Chris began before Komichi bolted, running as fast as possible. “Hey, get back here! Komichi!” Chris began chasing after her. She bumped into all of the students in the crowd that was surrounding Komichi, but she didn’t care. She had to get to her friend. “Get back here!” She cried out in a desperate tone.

“Kyaaah!” Komichi yelled at the top of her lungs, her flailing arms upright and taking small but fast steps. Chris had never seen anyone run in such an over-the-top and girly way, but somehow, she was outrunning Chris easily.

“God… dammit! Get back here!” Chris yelled, weaving past a bald fat student with a backpack. The people in the hall noticed this and began lining up against the wall, not wanting to get in the silver-haired girl’s way.

“No! I’m sorry I made you mad! Please don’t hurt me!” The shy girl screamed.

Chris, still running, sighed. “No, look, I just want to talk! That’s all!”

The two kept running until they reached the school’s courtyard. Panting, Chris began leaning against a tree while Komichi was bent over with both hands on her knees.

“Ever… thought… of… doing… sports?” Chris asked between deep breaths. “You’re… not bad.”

“That’s very kind of you, Yukine-sama.” Komichi said in a reverent tone.

Chris rolled her eyes. “Come on, Komichi. It took me ages to get you to drop the ‘-san’ from my name. Now you’re using ‘-sama’?!” She sighed in exasperation. “It’s like all my progress with you’s been undone.”

“I apologize, Yukine-sama. It’s just that… I’m unworthy of being with you.” Komichi said, her body language now stiff. She now had her hands by her side and was slightly bowing towards Chris, not even looking her in the eye.

Chris blinked. “Komichi, I don’t think of you that way. We’re friends, equals. How does me being a Symphogear user change anything?”

“That’s not true, Yukine-sama.” Komichi began, shuddering. “You’ve done so much to help so many lives. You’ve saved so many lives with your song. You’re a hero. I’m unworthy of even talking to you.”

Chris sighed. She knew Komichi had a complex about how ‘ordinary’ and ‘plain’ she was, so she should’ve guessed that was why she was avoiding her. As it was, she didn’t know how to handle this, so she just went with the first option: speaking from the heart. “Komichi, you’ve been a good friend for me. For most of my life, I never got to experience friendship or school or anything fun at all. That first day we met, when you chased me down and made me have fun… that was the first time I felt I belonged.” Chris wiped a tear from her eye and smiled. “So don’t you dare say you’re unworthy of being my friend. It’s an insult to all our time together.”

“I’m so, so, so sorry for insulting you, Yukine-sama!” Komichi apologized, bowing deeper. The display was so pathetic that it made Chris’s heart sink. “I promise, I’ll never…”

“No, no promises! You promise to stop avoiding me and be my friend again!” Chris dashed forward and grabbed both her hands. Komichi gasped as Chris’s eyes stared into hers. “I don’t want to hear another word about you being unworthy or anything like that from you again!”

“Y-Y-Yukine-sama,” Komichi stammered, trying to pull away. “T-touching hands… but…”

“No buts! I don’t want to let go! I want to remain friends. Dammit, if you think so highly of me, why won’t you do what I say-!”

“Let go!” Komichi shouted, pushing Chris back. The silver-haired girl fell on her behind, a bit stunned. She stared up to Komichi, tears in her eyes. And at that moment, Komichi felt like she had done something unforgivable.

“Ah.” She said, looking away. “I have a class, Yukine-sama. I’m going too busy for a bit. Not that you’d have time for someone as lowly as I.” She began quickly running away, carrying her books.

Chris just sat there on the ground, stunned and heartbroken. It… it wasn’t fair! Why did it have to be like this? Why did revealing her identity have to change everything?

Why didn’t Komichi want to be her friend anymore?

Chris buried her face in her hands and began to cry.

\----

“Thank you for coming, Kazanari.” Handa Kohaku greeted Tsubasa exactly the same way as in their first meeting. It was if the revelations didn’t phase him at all.

“Kohaku.” Tsubasa simply acknowledged, wondering absently if he had even heard the news.

He swiftly answered _that _question for her. “I must say, the events of the past week have greatly contextualised your decisions from our first meeting for me. Not that I disapproved of them even then.”

“Is any of it a problem?” Tsubasa asked.

“Legally? No.” Kohaku said. “Professionally? Well… that depends on you. If you think that these revelations require you to employ someone else as a legal adviser, then I have no objections to a contract termination.”

That was… nice to hear, actually. And it also was a nice opening Tsubasa could finally ask a question she had been wondering about since she first met the lawyer but would have been too awkward to ask until now. “How much of grandfathers... activities did you know about?”

“None.” Kohaku replied instantly. “I was employed to handle the Kazanari Foundations _legal _affairs. His illegal, and even legally grey, affairs I was kept in the dark about. I did have suspicions that he was not as above-the-board as he pretended but I am a lawyer and I can not base my decisions on just _suspicions_.”

So it was largely as Tsubasa had expected. There was the possibility of deception, but she had done her own checking prior to the Four Horsemen distracting her and he did seem to be carrying out her directions to the best of his ability.

So she nodded. “I do not feel that would be necessary. Regardless of my feelings towards my grandfather, you have done your utmost to assist me in my brief time so far and so long as that continues to be the case, I have no objection to you remaining in the Kazanari Foundation’s employ.”

“I am glad to hear that, Kazanari.” Kohaku said. “Now perhaps we can begin to go over some of the other changes you had in mind?”

So they did. For several hours, they poured over the intricacies of this foundation. Tsubasa was aiming not just at downsizing the Foundation, she also wanted to permit greater autonomy for the various branches. Fudou, out of his maniacal control freakish desire, had centralized far too much decision making in his own hands.

It was during this that Tsubasa noticed a familiar name come up, listed as a recent co-owner in a branch company. “LifeWyze Biotechnology?”

“Hmm?” Kohaku inquired, glancing over at the document Tsubasa was looking at. “Oh, yes, them. They purchased a significant minority share in that company about two months ago, shortly after arriving in Japan. I believe they have been using it to help market their anti-aging treatments.”

Tsubasa thought back to the intelligence briefing following the press conference two days prior, a nasty suspicion creeping into her. The soldiers she had fought were rapidly created clones who had been genetically modified into perfect obedience. LifeWyze was a company marketing biotechnological breakthroughs that weren’t quite as advanced as that, but still quite startling compared to just a year ago. Could the Four Horsemen be using a portion of their technology to finance their operations? Was LifeWyze a front company for the Four Horsemen? And if that was the case, then their “renting” of that office floor to that Voronin used to kill Genjuro might not have been as innocuous as it first seemed.

Tsubasa resisted the brief temptation to personally locate and assault the LifeWyze headquarters office. She would have to talk with Ogawa. Both of them.

Several more hours later, she bid Kohaku goodbye, donned her cap and glasses, changed her hair back into a ponytail, and took the elevator back down to the office buildings lobby. Dealing with the Foundation’s affairs had been a nice distraction but she had a lot on her mind and there was a nice park across the street to think over it all.

As she moved through the lobby, taking security in her disguise and the anonymity of the crowd with the experience born of years as a top idol, she thought she saw a flash of familiar blonde hair as she passed a first floor bank lobby. Turning, Tsubasa looked around, trying to spot who she thought she had seen but couldn’t find her anywhere in the crowd.

Had she been followed? No, it couldn’t be. The Pale Man aside, that man could appear _anywhere_, she had a good instinct for those things. And the person she thought she saw didn’t seem like the most subtle type if she was really after Tsubasa. Still, the swordswoman stayed quite alert as she left the office building.

After all, why else would Caprice Calcaterra be in a place like this other than to get her?

—

Caprice quietly hummed the first few notes of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture’s climax to herself as she stepped out of the Boon Financial branch bank. The charges were surreptitiously set and things were going swell as far as she was concerned. It wouldn’t beat the Château exploding, but then nothing short of a nuke would. That was okay, it wasn’t necessarily the size of the blast that mattered.

Although that wasn’t to say it _didn’t _matter either. That vault was built tough. The entrance would go with the charges she had stowed in the bank lobby, but she’d have to stick around to blow the contents. She’d planned for that though: the incendiaries would keep everyone far too busy to notice her and she had a rebreather packed nicely away.

Caprice cut her own humming off just before the song where the crescendo started to rise towards the cannon blasts. And not just because she was saving that for when the bombs were just about to go off. A woman was coming in from the other direction with a baby stroller and it wouldn’t do for her to hear her humming that sort of piece.

Still, Caprice could also have a bit of fun with this.

“Oh, their so precious!” She stopped and cooed. “Are they a boy or girl?”

“A girl.” The mother smiled indulgently in a manner of someone quite familiar with having people stop and gush over their children.

“I’m so jealous of you, I could never have children. I just don’t have the temperament for it.” Caprice replied, crouching down and making faces at the baby, who giggled back. “What’s her name?”

“Akane.” The mother responded.

“I’m sure you treasure her.” Caprice said, leaning in to bop the child’s nose. As she did so, she surreptitiously slid her other hand underneath the underside of the carriage and clicked a micro-explosive onto it before standing back up and shooting the mother a brilliant smile. “And good thing too, after all, they say they’ll just blow right up before you know it.”

The mother just smiled back as if she had heard that sentiment a million times before. Which she probably had, Caprice mused as she nodded her farewell and quickly departed, but nobody had ever likely meant it so literally to her. Still… Akane, huh? If Caprice remembered her Japanese correctly, didn’t it mean “bright red”? How utterly appropriate.

—

Tsubasa sank down into the park bench with a sigh. She wasn’t feeling very good. Although Yoshihara had said support for them had grown somewhat after the press conference, it didn’t feel like it. The number of reporters camping outside her home had noticeably dipped but the media reports didn’t seem any less vitriolic.

Her attempt to put on a small show yesterday, an already scheduled event that was converted into an improvised test run of how her idol career would mesh with her Symphogear adaptor status, had only emphasized the feeling. Only a few of her fans had left but most of the rest didn’t so much seem to be there to hear her songs or for who she was as much as they were there for _what _she was. For most idols, that may have been enough. But Tsubasa Kazanari hadn’t gotten her way to top Japan’s charts by being most idols.

At least it wasn’t as bad as Maria’s own attempt to return to the stage. In addition to getting heckled, apparently a former fan in the crowd had been disgruntled by the revelations enough to sneak in rocks to throw at her. None of them had connected and some of the rest of the crowd had assisted security in dealing with both the hecklers and the rock thrower, but it drove the point home: People just didn’t respect them as idols any more.

Tsubasa’s brooding was interrupted by a massive explosion behind her. She rolled forward instinctively when she felt the heat flare up, the shockwave rolling over her without effect even as it knocked several passersby off their feet. Springing back up, Tsubasa turned to see the rising fireball from the lobby of the office building she had just met Kohaku in turn to smoke. Fires seemed to consume the entire first floor and a good chunk of the second floor.

Stunned by the sudden change in scenery, it took Tsubasa a second to connect the dots. She _had _seen Caprice and Caprice must have been there for her. Tsubasa figured that if Caprice was going to try and assassinate her with bombs, she’d try to get up close and plant them on Tsubasa’s person. But it seemed the Italian terrorist had decided to be much more indiscriminate than that. Although why did she plant the bombs on the ground floor when Tsubasa had been on...

Tsubasa derailed her own train of thought with the sudden realization that there would be hundreds, if not thousands, of people on the floors above the ones that exploded who were now trapped by the fire. Innocent people who had nothing to do with the relics, that the Four Horsemen were willing to let burn to death or be crushed by the building collapsing just to get at her.

For a moment, Tsubasa thought about ducking away somewhere to transform. Then in the next instant she remembered that was pointless now: there was no secret to keep any more. The decision made, she quickly pulled the braid out of her ponytail and threw off her cap and sunglasses. The people around her, who had also climbed to their feet to gawk at the sudden explosion and fire, turned in surprise as Tsubasa sang...

_“Imyuteus Ame no Habakiri tron.”_

\----

**Next Chapter: **A Thousand Needles

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s our first on-screen (on-fic?) holy chant, if we don’t count the chapter 5 bit where I wrote that they sang the chants but didn’t write out the words of the chants.
> 
> For those who might not understand the “Kusyo into Kuso” thing with Chris, a bit of a primer. The Japanese word “Kuso” is something of the rough equivalent to the English swear “shit”, although apparently it’s more like an adjective (“shitty”) or something. I’m not super-versed on the details, but that’s the essential gist I caught. I don’t necessarily know if the wordplay crosses the language barrier as well either but when I saw the name come up in the random name generator I’m using for some of these minor characters, I knew I had to do it.


	9. A Thousand Needles

_Distortions_   
_Chapter 9:_   
_A Thousand Needles_

\----

Thermite for the money packets, shaped charges for the deposit boxes, and general hi-ex for everything else. Sure it was probably excessive as all hell, but Caprice was just fine with that. It wasn’t so much that she didn’t understand the concept of overkill. Rather the opposite: she **_loved_** overkill.

Then an unexpected power shot through her. The Italian’s head whipped around in surprise. Her Apegear was taking on phonic gain? Then that means… an active Symphogear?! Here?! One must have been nearby and seen the bombs go off! She wasn’t prepared for this. She didn’t have her nanosuit, she didn’t have her launcher, and she was operating with only a fraction of her usual arsenal.

Okay, okay Corporal Calcaterra, don’t panic. They’ll probably be focused on saving the people in the upper floors, not looking in the vault of an already ruined bank. Red Unit would have already done its own part of the job. She could still wreck the assets here and sneak away under the cover of smoke.

Keeping an eye on the blown wall that served as her entryway into the bank vault, Caprice hastily went back to work, a bit more urgency in her efforts.

—

_“As the flower falls countless times at night, I ask myself the question  
_ _Water flows downhill but why do people alike act… heartlessly?”_

Flames licked harmlessly at her armor and smoke did not bother her. With a slash, Tsubasa carved a section of the first floor ceiling away, toppling down a piece of concrete to rest as a ramp and snuffing some flames caught in the way of the giant slab. She stormed up the ramp and repeated the process on the second floor, clearing away more fire and creating a steady path.

Running up this second ramp and into a second floor hallway, she found the first group of people who weren’t a bunch of shredded corpses. They were staying low to the floor, following the usual instructions about fire but had shied away from the stairwell, from which inordinate amounts of smoke was pouring upwards. They were already turning at the sound of her singing, and when they saw her the fear in their eyes was quickly replaced with recognition, awe… and hope.

“Mama!” Tsubasa heard a child call out in excitement. “It’s Symphogear Blue!”

Ignoring the comment, Tsubasa pointed the way she had come with Ame No Habakiri. “I’ve created a ramp to the ground level in a place where there are no flames for the moment. Go, quickly!”

The people scrambled past her at that, some nodding their appreciation as they did so.

“Tsubasa?!” Tomasoto’s voice crackled in her ear as her armor’s communicator came to life. “We’re detecting Ame no Habakiri is active! What’s going on?”

“There was an explosion in an office building I was in.” Tsubasa replied calmly as she returned to the “ramp” room and carved her way up another floor. “I suspect the Four Horsemen were trying to kill me with a bomb. I am evacuating civilians trapped by the fires. I believe at least Caprice Calcaterra is in the area, and perhaps more of the White Noise Squad are nearby.”

There was a few seconds pause before Tomasoto’s voice came back again. “Calls of explosion and fire at the location of relic activation… emergency services en-route. Alright, we understand. Keep trying to evacuate as many civilians as you can. We’ll inform the firefighters that you’re there. I’ll alert the others in case the White Noise show up.”

Tsubasa continued to work her way up the building in search of civilians, informing anyone who she came across about the new way down, cutting an improvised staircase as she went. At last, she tore her way up to the top floor. Funny, she had just been here… what? Less than a half-hour ago?

Of course, unlike the lower floors, there was a familiar face here among the people lingering around the main stairwells.

“Kazanari?” Kohaku said, as if he was suddenly encountering Tsubasa in a cafe rather than on the top floor of a burning building. If he was worried by the ongoing situation, he didn’t show it very much.

Tsubasa acknowledged him with a brief glance. “Is everyone here?” There were nods all around. “Then follow me.”

She led the civilians back to the ramp room only to pause as she discovered smoke pouring up in equal measure to the actual stairwells. Clearly, the ground floor fires had spread. Tsubasa hoped the people she had already sent down that way had all managed to get out.

The swordswoman ran over the windows, gauging the distance to the adjacent office building. It looked close enough. And if it wasn’t, well, she could always make her swords bigger.

“Stand back.” She instructed the civilians behind her as she readied Ame no Habakiri. She gave them a moment to do as she said before she cut away the wall in four quick strokes. An instant later **_Heaven’s Wrath _**embedded itself into the structure at an angle, creating a ramp down to the adjacent buildings roof. “This way!”

With only some hesitation, the civilians streamed past Tsubasa down to safety. Kohaku paused to glance at her before he headed down. “You know, seeing it on the news is one thing, but in person it is much more… inspiring.”

Tsubasa didn’t know how to respond to that, but the lawyer didn’t seem to expect any response as he hastily departed. Another series of blasts in the center of the structure caused Tsubasa to turn in surprise. As she did so, she caught a flash of blonde hair in the street below.

Caprice. The terrorist was jogging away from the structure. Tsubasa’s eyes narrowed in rage. She leapt down towards Caprice, but the Italian clearly sensed her coming and rolled away to avoid Tsubasa slamming into her. Coming to her feet, the bomber turned towards the swordswoman.

“Caprice!” Tsubasa shouted, pointing her sword at the Italian. “Surrender!”

“I’m afraid I’m not into that sort of play, dear.” Caprice winked, her hand sliding down to her waist. “How about I offer a counter-proposal?”

“What could you possi-” Tsubasa was interrupted as Caprice suddenly threw a grenade at her. Naturally, Ame no Habakiri lashed out and bisected the oncoming round. But Tsubasa hadn’t taken the moment to pay attention to the appearance of the grenade and so it was something of a surprise when a familiar red gas splashed out of the two sections of the canister and washed over her. Tsubasa didn’t even wait to feel the first of the backlash from the Anti-LiNKER before dropping her gear combination.

But Caprice had already used the momentary distraction to sprint most of the way to an alleyway. Tsubasa charged after her, but the Italian turned to throw a handful of micro-explosives in the path of an oncoming fire truck.

Tsubasa broke towards them and with the flat of her sword batted the explosives away up into the air, where they detonated harmlessly. Caprice had already disappeared down into the alleyway. Instead of just trying to charge after her, Tsubasa instead leapt up onto an adjacent buildings rooftop. This proved to be a good move, as it turned out Caprice had also taken to the rooftops and was running away over the buildings just across from Tsubasa. With her quarry in sight again, Tsubasa leapt after her and easily crossed the alley in hot pursuit.

“HQ!” Tsubasa quickly broadcasted. “I’m in pursuit of Caprice!” She didn’t even pay much attention to Tomosato’s affirmation.

The Italian was spry enough but she still wasn’t quite as naturally quick as Tsubasa, so even with the supernatural boosts of phonic gain, the distance between them began to slowly shrink.

“Gowon!” Caprice shouted into her commbead as she leapt across to another building. “Come on, come on, you bible thumper, pick up already! Goddamn-!”

“Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain.” The reply finally came, as if he had been summoned by the offense.

“I’ll give it some consideration if you _get the fuck over here_!” Caprice snapped back. “I’ve got Sierra-One on my ass, and I don’t have any smoke!”

There was a moment's pause. “I’m on my way. Where are you?”

“Track the fucking commbead! And bring smoke!” She spat back in lieu of an actual answer, jumping down off the rooftops and onto a busy sidewalk. She didn’t bother trying to weave around people too slow to get out of the way, instead opting to simply plow through them with superhuman resiliency and strength. Tsubasa followed, but unlike Caprice she did bother to weave through the crowd, requiring her to slow down ever so slightly.

A policeman appeared in Caprice’s path, drawn by her bulldozing through the crowd. He drew his sidearm and shouted at her to halt. In a flash, Caprice’s own hands shot up with the machine pistol she had kept hidden. The gun quickly _brrp_ed, and the officer collapsed with a burst of gunfire to the center mass. The now-screaming crowd scattered at the sound of gunshots, opening a path for both the bombmaker and swordswoman. But that favored Tsubasa.

Caprice recognized this and swiftly tossed another handful of micro-explosives towards the fleeing crowd, forcing Tsubasa to divert again to bat the explosives into the air. However, Tsubasa followed up the bat with a leap in Caprice’s direction, firing her jets for additional speed, making up for lost time as the Italian approached a busy intersection.

Caprice knew she was running out of options; all she had left was one last handful of micro-explosives, a few additional grenades and charges, her knife, and her concealed machine pistol. If only she had thought to bring some smoke rounds!

Well, she’d have to make do. Yanking out one of her grenades, the bomber threw the grenade forward, straight at a car coming to a halt in the intersection ahead. The driver had just enough time to jerk in surprise when the projectile landed on his windshield before it detonated, taking the car with it. Caprice ran straight into the dust and smoke kicked up by the blasts. Tsubasa pursued.

Quickly, a stationary figure loomed into the swordswoman’s vision, clearly turned in her direction. So Caprice had decided to face her at last. Tsubasa brought her sword to readiness as she charged.

The figure resolved itself into that of a terrified mid-age woman.

Tsubasa abruptly froze. She could see Caprice standing right behind the woman. The terrorist had a solid grip on her with one hand, the machine pistol shoved into the hostage’s back with the other, right behind where the heart was. The color drained from Tsubasa’s face. ‘_Oh no. Not again._’

“Well! This seems familiar, doesn't it?” Caprice asked, clearly recognizing and delighting in Tsubasa’s case of deja-vu. “I mean, it’s not a concert, and she’s a fair bit older than the one Millaarc offed, but…”

“P-please.” The woman whimpered, although whether she was talking to Caprice or Tsubasa wasn’t exactly clear. “I have ch-chil-”

“Hush dear.” Caprice cut her off, raising her free hand to gently caress her cheek. “Whether you get to see them again or not is in the Symphogear’s hands here.” She shot a lopsided grin at Tsubasa. “See, that’s something else that’s different here. I’m not some alchemical vampiric cyborg abomination. So in addition to not having any mind control shit to use on you when you’re freaked out, I don’t have any other means of escape at the moment than this cutie. So, ‘protector’, are you actually gonna protect her? Or are you going to let her die like so many others you’ve failed?“

Tsubasa glared daggers at the Italian. She already knew that appealing to the bomber’s morality wouldn’t work, the chase up to this point was proof enough of that. Practicality, on the other hand… “You won’t kill her. Because then there would be _nothing _between you and me.”

“_Oooh_! Think I’m bluffing?” Caprice grin became broad. “That’s what makes this so tricky, doesn’t it? Following through on the threat doesn’t make as much sense as making the threat. But then, it _also _doesn’t make much sense to make threats one isn’t willing to follow through on. We can go around and around on that train of thought, so let’s side step it and ask a different question. Am I willing to undertake action that puts me at an additional disadvantage?”

Her grin became a leer. “In answer, let me tell you a little story: before you found me, I came across a darling little mother and her baby. She was already walking into the blast zone back there,” Caprice nodded towards the distant rising smoke of the building they had left behind. “but I figured a little extra boom was always nice. So I cooed over the baby and while the mother was distracted, I slipped in a little bomb into her child’s little walker. That’s one bomb less I could have used now! Wasn’t even necessary: the lobby blast would’ve cooked them anyways.” Caprice’s eyes contained none of the warmth in her voice. “Does _that _answer the question?”

Tsubasa’s fury intensified, her sword actually shaking a little in anger. The blue-haired woman suddenly realized how that was one more difference between the concert and now. Millaarc hadn’t actually wanted to be a monster, even if she failed to comprehend how the monstrous acts she carried out only pointed away from that goal. But _this _woman… she was unbelievable. “You are a monster wearing human skin.”

“And you are a human wearing a monster’s skin!” Caprice’s riposte was full of delight. “We’re practically a match made in heaven! Or hell, if you listen to Gowon. But our compatibility aside, the question remains: will you let me go so that she lives or let her die trying to capture me?”

Tsubasa looked in the Italian’s eyes, trying to see if there was any sign of, if not humanity, then at least a bluff. Finding none, her gaze drifted to the hostage’s eyes.

“_Please_.” She whispered at the swordswoman, begging to live.

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Tsubasa took a step back, only lowering her sword slightly. Caprice’s grin became triumphant. She opened her mouth to usher her hostage along only to instead jerk back suddenly as the extended Airgetlamh twisted in from her left. The last movement meant that the whip-sword _just _missed slicing straight through her pistol hand, but the graze was still enough for her to release the gun with a hiss of pain and surprise.

Tsubasa leapt forward, swinging Ame no Habakiri at the Italian’s other hand. Caprice shoved the woman forward in order to throw off Tsubasa’s cut and duck out of the way in time. Tsubasa aborted her strike in favor of catching the woman and Caprice turned to run only to find herself staring into Maria’s angry cyan eyes, Airgetlamh already poised at the Italian’s throat.

“Well,” Caprice said, slowly raising her hands. Short almost all her equipment _and_ facing two adaptors at once? Yeah, there was no way out of this one. “It was fun while it lasted.”

Tsubasa ignored her, instead patting the crying woman on her back while looking over to Maria and nodding gratefully. Maria gave a small smile back, but it was a smile that disappeared as a new figure emerged out of the smoke behind the swordswoman, the machine gun in his hands already raised.

The loss of Maria’s smile and her own instincts were all the warning Tsubasa needed. Both her and Maria leapt away, the bluenette hauling the woman in her arms with her, just in time for Gowon’s machine gun fire to tear through each of the spaces they had occupied. Maria landed in front of Tsubasa, Airgetlamh held out and ready to deflect another burst of fire, but instead, the African man threw a smoke grenade over to Caprice’s feet and then another one at his own.

Maria hesitated as their figures rapidly vanished into the smoke, torn between resuming the pursuit and staying to make sure Tsubasa was alright in case this was some kind of fake-out. In the end, Maria decided on the latter option. She kept her guard up long enough for the smoke to start to disperse naturally and only then did she lower Airgetlamh and turn to Tsubasa. Tsubasa for her part had helped the woman they had rescued to her feet.

“Are you alright?” Maria asked the woman, who shakily nodded as she wiped at the last of her tears. Neither Maria or Tsubasa could miss the way the woman’s relief and joy mixed with with awe at their presence.

“The police will be here soon.” Tsubasa reassured her, leading her over to a street corner. “Please, have a seat.”

She made sure the woman was seated before returning to Maria to find the pinkette staring at the burning car Caprice had blown up… and the corpses of bystanders who had been struck by shrapnel from it. They could hear approaching sirens.

“Caprice did this?” Maria asked, her voice tight.

Tsubasa nodded. “To try and get away from me. She used civilian crowds as a shield, so I couldn’t hit her with any of my more advanced attacks. She even claimed that she planted a bomb on a child just for entertainment.”

“What?” Maria turned, unable to believe it. Even by the standards of the enemies they had faced, she could scarcely believe anybody would sink that low. Adam, Dr. Ver, and even Shem-Ha didn’t kill without **_some _**reason, however thin and screwed up that reason was.

“They’re _monsters_.” Tsubasa spat. Then she paused and thought, remembering Jwa’s words to her that night at the Château and how familiar they sounded. “Or at least, Caprice is. A monster wearing human skin.”

\----

_“-asualties are believed to be in the hundreds. Officials are saying the attack was carried out by the anti-SONG terrorist group known as the Four Horsemen. The agent who planted the bombs has been identified as Caprice Calceterra, an Italian deserter and terrorist who apparently joined the organization. SONG has released a statement verifying eyewitness reports and online video uploads that the Symphogear Tsubasa Kazanari assisted in evacuating civilians and pursued Caprice when she was spotted fleeing the scene but failed to apprehend her. So far, no statement or claim of responsibility has been issued by the Four Horsemen-”_

“Caprice wasn’t there to kill Tsubasa.” Commander Ogawa announced, closing the news report on the main screen and replacing it with the burnt out husk of the structures lower floors. Initial reports were that the building was going to have to undergo demolition, if it didn’t collapse on it’s own.

It was several hours later and all the adaptors had been summoned to SONG headquarters immediately after finishing their last tests.

“So why was she there?” Hibiki asked.

“The bank.” Fujitaka said, bringing up an interior shot of a shattered and burnt room. So scarred was the room, that the only hint of its purpose was a shattered vault door tucked away in the corner. “We did business through the branch of Boon Financial that was destroyed. They didn’t just strike the physical infrastructure either. The branches electronic accounts were cracked just minutes before the bombs went off. Everything was wiped.”

“How bad were the losses?” Maria asked.

“Bad enough that they would have compromised our ability to function through the end of the year.” Tomosato said. “Fortunately, finding the Four Horsemen’s agent in the act means the Japanese Government has agreed to reimburse us for the losses.”

“Not to mention the other attacks.” Director Ogawa clarified. Three more images came up on the main screen. The first was several days old image of Minister Shibata laying slumped on his desk. The other two showed chalk police outlines, one on what appeared to be some sort of stage and the other in a living room. In both cases, the chalk outlines were marred by splashes of blood.

“Minister Shibata was found dead in his office several days ago.” Fujitaka indicated each image. “The other two murders were conducted around the time of the bank attack. Both were members of the Diet.” He nodded at the living room image. ”That one was found stabbed to death, much like Shibata. The other was shot from long range while speaking at a political rally. We suspect the killings were carried out by Jwa and Voronin, respectively. The common thread is that all of them had voiced public support for SONG following the recent revelations.”

“Finances and political supporters.” Maria murmured solemnly, forcing herself to look past the human losses to understand the greater purpose. “The Four Horsemen are attacking our support base.”

“That’s the conclusion we’ve come to as well.” Commander Ogawa nodded.

“And it isn’t just here.” Tomosato continued. “Several Congressmen in the US with ties to either SONG or the old FIS have been killed as well. Those operations were messier, though, and some of the Four Horsemen agents involved were captured.”

“The Americans have insisted they handle those interrogations,” Director Ogawa looked disgruntled by that, or at least the adaptors thought he did. “although they’re permitting SONG personnel to sit in.”

“Regardless, it may have been a miscalculation on their part.” Commander Ogawa continued. “Both the US and Japan have now thrown in their full support. Tracking down the Four Horsemen just shot from rather important to very top priority. We think we’ll have a facility location within a couple of days.“

“Finally!” Chris grumbled. After the week she had, she felt the need to vent so badly. She hadn’t exactly been happy that SONG had left her out of the loop with Caprice until her last test was over but she knew that was down to her own frustration on the matter.

“Wait…” Kirika said, her face clearly scrunched up in thought. “Even if we locate a base, if it’s somewhere far away we couldn’t _all _go there. Either the White Noise would follow us or, worse, they’d wreak absolute havoc here.”

“We can’t divide ourselves too much either.” Miku pointed out. “Or they could gang up on us.”

“We’re looking into how to approach the issue the best we can.” Commander Ogawa reassured them.

—

“So we didn’t get the chance to ask on the way here.” Miku said to Kirika and Shirabe as they sat in the living space closest to Ippei Yoshigahara’s office. “But how did you think your exams went?”

Chris had been called into the PR directors office first, so it was just the four youngest adaptors.

“Better than usual!” Kirika cheered, “Kawada gave me some last minute tips that I think helped for the classes we had.”

Shirabe eyed her girlfriend at the mention of their newest second-year friend. “She has been treating you alright? Even when I’m not around?”

“Nothing but helpful!” Kirika answered. Some of her genuine old cheer had come back into her smile since that Tuesday afternoon. Her grin became teasing and she latched onto Shirabe’s arm to snuggle against it. “But don’t be jealous Shirabe, you know you’re the only one for me~.”

Shirabe blushed and muttered “Idiot.” but made no move to separate herself from the blonde.

“Ah, no fair snuggling with your girlfriend like that!” Hibiki said, turning to grab Miku’s hand. “We can’t lose to them, Miku!”

“Since when was it a competition?” Miku asked. Her voice was incredulous but her smile showed more than a little amusement. “Beside how do you think _you _did, Hibiki?”

The chestnut haired girl froze for an instant and she let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of her head with her free hand. “Well, I certainly think I could’ve done a lot worse. Although…” Her nervous laughter began to trail off. “I hope… I hope the teachers don’t feel they have to be light on my grades because they know about, you know... I don’t want that too cause them any trouble about you know.”

That reminder of how cold it had felt to be at Lydian the past week, some exceptions aside, put a damper on the good mood.

“ASSHOLE!” Chris Yukine’s shout jolted everyone apart. The silver haired girl stormed down the hallway from the office, her face red with rage.

Yoshigahara chased after her, disappointment written all over his own features. “Yukine, please. If you can’t control your temper in the face of such-”

“FUCK OFF!” Chris snapped.

Yoshigahara chased her as far as the living space, then stopped and sighed as he watched the Ichaival user disappear around the corner.

“Yoshigahara?” He turned to face them at Hibiki’s voice. “What happened with Chris?”

“Tachibana, right?” He asked back but continued without any prompting. “I was asking her some test questions about issues we could expect to come up on Monday. I tried to ease her into it. You can see how that went.” He shook his head regretfully. “It’s as I feared. She’s too temperamental. I’d recommend to the commander that she doesn’t speak Monday, but…”

“But what?” Miku prompted.

“We’re under a lot of pressure from the Security Council Committee that nobody misses out.” Yoshigahara admitted. “Ostensibly, they’re insisting you should all be given a chance to tell your side of the story. But to be honest? I think the governments want to shove some of the political pressure over the revelations downwards.”

“Onto us?” Hibiki asked in alarm.

“Not necessarily.” Yoshigahara quickly clarified. “But at least somewhere into SONG.”

Kirika thought about the bridge crew and everyone else in SONG. Her already solemn expression morphed into a frown. The idea almost felt like an insult to Genjuro’s memory, at least to her. “That’s not fair! Everyone’s always helped us out so much…”

“I’ve heard that plenty of times.” Yoshigahara said sadly. “Life’s not fair. You just have to take it as it is. As her friends, could I ask you that you try to get her in a better mood by Monday? It will be a catastrophe for her if she goes to that conference like this, and not just for her image.” His voice became very grim. “I’ve seen this happen before. It can end quite badly.”

“Of course!” Kirika and Hibiki chorused instantly. Their girlfriends settled for a more sedate, but no less resolute, nod of affirmation. Chris was more than a comrade, she was their friend. They would not abandon her, either on the battlefield or off of it.

“Thank you.” He looked over at Kirika. “Akatsuki, right? I’ll see you next.”

Shirabe spoke up quickly. “Could we… do these together?”

“I don’t-” Yoshigahara cut himself off, a thoughtful look came over his face as he glanced between the two pairs of girls. “Actually, perhaps it is best if I do see you two at a time.”

After all, he figured, the public did enjoy their cute couples.

\----

The banner read “We’ll Always Be Together!” But Hibiki couldn’t keep lying to herself. She knew it really should say “We’ll Miss You, Kuriyo!” The only three who seemed to be entirely buying the facade were Yumi, Shiori, and Kuriyo herself. The party was being held in their room, which was only logical since they weren’t the ones who had several reporters camped near their front door during all hours of the day.

Hibiki didn’t want to make them worry, though, and she certainly made a good show of buying it. Of course, she didn’t fool Miku for a moment. And Hibiki knew it, meaning it wasn’t a surprise at all when she finished a trip to the bathroom only to find Miku waiting for her.

Miku didn’t say anything. She didn’t have too. They knew each other better than that.

“It’s all coming apart.” Hibiki began. “Lydian doesn’t feel as warm as it should. Tsubasa and Maria’s dreams are coming apart. Kirika is kinda getting better, but it’s obviously how fragile she is. Shirabe is terrified for Kirika. Chris is in a tailspin. You’re still blaming yourself for things that aren’t your fault.” Her eyes fell. “Master… Genjuro is dead.”

“We’ll help them.” Miku reassured her. “For him and for us.”

“I know that.” Hibiki replied. “I believe that. I have to believe it. But… every time I think we have a moment's breath to try and make some progress, _they _stab us again. Another knife to the heart, again and again. And sometimes, I wonder… how much can we take? How much more can we take, before it’s too much?”

Miku paused for a moment, considering the question. But the answer was obvious. At least, to her. She reached up to cup Hibiki’s cheek. “As much as we have to.” She replied. “If we have to fight some more before we can retake those happy days, then so be it.”

“And yet they keep striking at us without ever giving us the opportunity to fight.” Hibiki replied, getting at the heart of her concern.

“We’ll get our chance.” Miku reassured her. “They can’t hide from us forever. Remember? Ogawa thinks they’re close to finding a base. It’s not just us. The rest of SONG is there too, as always. They’ll support us as we support each other.”

Hibiki sighed, reaching up to take Miku’s hand from her cheek and brush her lips across it’s back. On some level, she already knew all this. But hearing it aloud from Miku, all of the lingering doubts and worries that argued against it would wash away.

“Okay.” The chestnut haired girl said, smiling. “I suppose we should take this party as an opportunity to get started with our first fight then, huh?”

“Chris?” Miku asked.

“Chris.” Hibiki confirmed.

They found the silver-haired adaptor sitting by the dorm window, peering solemnly into her cup of… well, Hibiki couldn’t tell whether it was juice or soda. Miku and Hibiki exchanged one last confirming glance, before the latter launched herself forward with her usual aplomb.

“Chris-_chaaaan_!” Hibiki whined, wrapping her arms around the shorter girls neck and rubbing her head against the nape of her neck. “You gotta have fun here!”

“Blargh!” Was Chris’s reflexive response to the initial tackle. Some of her drink sloshed out of the cup, but she barely managed to avoid spilling all of it. “Oh, come on! Get offa me, you dummy!”

“Nope!” Hibiki giggled. “You’re obviously down, and it is official SONG policy that I hug you until you tell me what’s wrong so I can cheer yo-OW!”

Chris had managed to get her drink on the table, freeing her hands up to deliver an appropriately interrupting blow to Hibiki’s head.

“Serves you right.” She muttered. “You almost ruined my shirt.”

“Now Hibiki, you shouldn’t startle people.” The laughter in Miku’s voice was rather at odds with her words as she leaned forward against the back of the couch the other two girls were on.

“Yes, Miku.” Hibiki replied in her best ‘yes, mom’ voice, smiling as well.

Chris’s own lips twitched upward at that. “Alright, whaddya two want?”

“We wanted to see how you’re doing.” Hibiki said. “It’s been a rough week, after all. We need to stick with each other in these times.”

Miku nodded. “Plus, it would be good to get an update. Like…” She paused, thinking on a question. “How are things with Ayano going?”

“They aren’t.” Chris snapped, far more abruptly than her usual retorts.

“Oh.” Hibiki said, her face falling. “She didn’t take the reveal well, then?”

“Didn’t take it well?” Chris growled. “Komichi only freaked out and ran from me the first time I saw her after the leaks went public. And when I caught up with her, she was acting all formal and timid and tearing into herself, saying she wasn’t worth my time. You know, like she did with Maria at the concert, but way worse.” Chris wiped at tears starting to form in her eyes. “And wh-when I tried to reason with her, it was like she put up this wall and wouldn’t let me in like she would before.” Chris shrank in on herself at the memory. “I-I really thought, you know, we might have had somethi-.”

Hibiki interrupted her with another hug. It was different from the first one, a smoother hug meant more to comfort then to catch Chris’s attention. As Chris spoke, Miku had come around and sat down on her other side. Now she reached out and took Chris’s hand.

“Do you still want to be with Ayano?” The Shenshoujing user asked softly.

Chris didn’t dare speak. She was too torn between wanting to be comforted, wanting to be embarrassed, and wanting to be angry to form a coherent sentence. She still was able to nod in response, even as she kept her eyes on the floor.

“Then what you have to do.” Hibiki said, breaking the hug and placing her hands on Chris’s shoulders. “Is keep punching.”

“Eh?” Chris blinked.

“Keep punching!” Hibiki repeated, pumping a fist as if in demonstration. “She puts up a wall! Then punch through it and offer her your hand! She puts up another one? Do it again! Don’t give up!”

In spite of herself, Chris snorted. “Relationships aren’t something you can use Gungnir on, dummy.”

“Oh?” Miku asked, her head tilting. The significance of the act was not lost to anyone in the room.

“Metanoia was a hug, not a punch.” Chris retorted. Still, she turned the idea over in her head. Don’t give up. Keep trying. It was certainly vintage Hibiki Tachibana. But then, she had a point. It wasn’t like Hibiki or Genjuro had succeeded with her the first time either. So what if she had tried and failed? Like hell she would just give up on Komichi!

Hibiki took hold of Chris’s hand and smiled, knowing that Chris had regained her determination by the look in her purple eyes. “You’re a lot tougher than you realize. You can do this. And if things do get too hard, we’re right here for you.”

Chris’ face turned a deep red, but that didn’t detract from her gentle smile. “And you’re a lot smarter than I give you credit for.” She finally said.

“Eh? Really?” Hibiki grinned.

“Hey now, don’t let that one comment go to your head. You still act like a doofus most of the time! You just manage to say something smart every now and again.”

“Hey!”

“Now, now, Chris,” Miku playfully admonished. “You can’t just go around saying things like that. We all have our moments of being a doofus.”

“Miku, don’t make fun of me.” Hibiki complained. Then she got an uncharacteristically devious grin on her face that made Miku look a bit nervous. “Sounds like you need to be punished.”

“Ah,” Miku took a step back. “Now, Hibiki. Let’s not get too hasty…”

“Tachibana Counterattack: Tickle Torture!” Hibiki exclaimed, holding her arms up and wiggling her fingers menacingly.

“Eeep!” Miku screamed in a half-terrified, half-excited sort of way. The two love birds took off running around the room like little kids, Hibiki still wiggling her fingers in a menacing way as Miku started giggling.

Looking at the other two girls, Chris shook her head. Miku wasn’t wrong when she said everyone had their doofus moments. Miku’s sudden drop in maturity was a prime example of that. And if Chris had to think back, her last doofus moment was…

_“Ah!” Shirabe and Kirika cried out, one of the explosions clipping them. The Zababa duo was sent flying through the air. Distracted as they were by their fight, they had never expected friendly fire._

_The silver-haired Symphogear gunner felt her heart stop. “NO!” Chris screamed._

… Well shit. She never apologized did she? Damn, she had been acting like an idiot ever since that fight. It seemed like everything that had happened this week was just part of a concerted attempt to piss her off. And she never apologized to her kouhais for her mistake. That wasn’t going to be fun.

“Hey, I’m going to go find Kirika and Shirabe.” She looked over to find Hibiki pinning Miku to the floor while straddling her in a rather… compromising way. “I want to talk to them about something. See you around!” 

“Okay, bye!” The two girls said in unison.

“Really, you should do that sort of thing at home.” The now red-faced girl muttered as she quickly high-tailed it, not really wanting to interrupt the other girls’ time together. 

“So, uh…” Miku said. “Will you forgive me?” She batted her eyes in a rather flirtatious way.

Hibiki gave one of her signature goofy grins that told Miku ‘where’s the fun in that?’ Then, she started tickling her girlfriend.

“Ahahaha! Hibiki I-fuhahahaha!” Miku was reduced to a giggling mess at the power of the Tachibana Tickle Torture. Just like she wanted.

—

“TA-DA!” Yumi said, holding up the NERV system helmet like it was a sports trophy she had won. Shiori, Kuriyo, Maria, and Tsubasa all just stared in response.

“So… where’s the rest of it?” Kuriyo finally asked after a few moments of waiting for Yumi to continue.

“This is it!” Yumi insisted, pouting. “Everything you need is right in the helmet! The only other bit is the battery charger but that’s not as exciting.”

“Well, I imagine that saves a lot of space.” Maria said from the countertop, taking a moment to pop a chip into her mouth. “But I still don’t see the point of these things in the first place.”

“I keep telling her that.” Shiori sighed as she turned to recheck the oven. “But she never listens.”

“Heathens!” Yumi protested. “I’m surrounded by heathens! Just wait until I get this baby tuned up then-”

“Wait.” Tsubasa interrupted. Tuned up? Like a bike? “I thought these were plug-and-play sort of deals?”

“If you just want to stick to what’s available on the commercial market, yeah.” Yumi clarified, flipping the helmet casually in her hand. “But there’s rumors flying around online that the devs had some incomplete features they had to patch out for time concerns. I’m a bit curious about those, so I’ve been doing some research on how to mod electronics since we finished our tests.”

Shiori looked at Yumi sharply, concern leaking into her voice. “I hadn’t heard anything about this.”

“Don’t worry!” Yumi quickly replied. “It’s not like I’m gonna be playing around with the electrical circuits or anything. Most of it is software modding, apparently. So I’ve just been reading some programming info and looking at which cables I need.”

Shiori didn’t look quite convinced but before she could continue, Hibiki appeared drawn by the smell of food, Miku trailing in her wake. “Oh-ho! Smells good over here and-!” She glanced over at the helmet in Yumi’s hands. “-Oh, so it finally arrived?”

Yumi gave a grin and opened her mouth to continue boasting but Shiori cut her off. “Yumi, this is a ‘We’ll Always Be Together Party’ for Kuriyo, not ‘Show Off The New VR Set Party’ for Yumi. You know I appreciate how much you like your hobbies, but you’re really overselling this. Just have it charge for now.”

Yumi laughed good naturedly, “Okay, okay! Be back in a jiffy.”

Headset tucked under her arms, the twin-tailed girl jogged away towards the bedroom.

“Aawww, Shiori.” Hibiki whined. “I was curious!”

“I’m sure Kirika and Shirabe would be quite interested.” Maria admitted. “They are rather more enthusiastic gamers then I am.”

Shiori shook her head. “She’s been so myopic on it. As I said, I do love Yumi’s enthusiasm for her hobbies but her going on about it for almost a month now has been a bit tiring.”

“That’s not _all _you love about her.” Kuriyo’s tone was sing-song.

“All who loves about who?” Yumi asked as she returned.

“Nobody! Nothing!” Shiori blushed, shooting Kuriyo a warning glare. Kuriyo just gave a cheeky grin in response. Tsubasa and Maria exchanged knowing glances. Miku gave Shiori a sympathetic look. Hibiki and Yumi just blinked in confusion.

Desperate to change the subject, Shiori quickly turned to Tsubasa and Maria. “So! How are things going on stage?” She realized it was the wrong question as the two idols shifted uncomfortably. “Oh, I’m sorry-”

“No.” Tsubasa shook her head. “It’s not your fault. We did try again on Thursday but...”

“... It was so different from before.” Maria picked up as Tsubasa trailed off. “Maybe a few people were there to hear me sing. But most seemed to be there because they knew we are Symphogear adaptors.” She frowned. “It… wasn’t fun.”

Tsubasa noted how Maria left out any mention of the rock throwing incident or the heckling but decided not to bring it up, it wouldn’t do to worry their friends with that. The conversation lapsed into solemn silence for a few moments.

“I am…” Maria suddenly spoke up again. “I am thinking about quitting.”

“What?” Tsubasa said, turning in surprise. Sure, it was an option she had considered but Maria too?

“What?” Miku and Shiori asked.

“WHAT?!” Yumi and Hibiki shouted. “You can’t!”

“I don’t think it’s our place to tell them what they can and can’t do.” Kuriyo replied, scratching her cheek as she poured herself another drink.

“But singing’s your dream!“ Hibiki protested. “You can’t give it up just like that!” Yumi nodded vigorously in agreement.

“I don’t like the idea either.” Miku replied. “But Kuriyo’s right. It is Maria and Tsubasa’s decision.”

Maria smiled appreciatively at the black haired girl. “Right, Tsubasa and I… our dream wasn’t just to sing. It was to get people to appreciate our singing for our singing. And to help heal the people who needed it most. But now that everyone knows we’re adaptors, they don’t seem to hear that any more.“

“But it’s been our dream for so long now.” Tsubasa commisserated. “What do you do if you lose a dream?”

“If you lose a dream…” Kuriyo repeated, tilting her head back in thought as she leaned against the counter. “Well, I guess the best thing to do would be to find a new dream.”

“Find a-” Tsubasa began and Maria finished, “-new dream?”

Kuriyo blushed a little. She was never very comfortable with being the center of attention, which was generally why she let Shiori and Yumi do most of the talking of the trio. She had only agreed to having an entire party thrown in her honor because it would help Kirika. “Well, I mean, people are not good at _just _one thing, right? And I’m sure there isn’t just one thing you like? Sure, it might not have been your first choice but it’s better than doing nothing or something you hate, right?“

She paused for a moment, with everyone staring at her in amazement. Her blush intensified. “I-I didn’t say something weird did I?”

“No.” Maria reassured her quite quickly, “Not at all…”

“In fact,” Tsubasa was clearly chewing it over. “We should thank you. You’ve been quite helpful.”

“Kuriyo does always give the best advice on stuff like this.” Miku smiled, recalling back when she didn’t know how to help Hibiki against Carol’s autoscorers. Kuriyo glanced away sheepishly at that, scratching her chin.

The buzzer on the oven went off, causing Shiori to turn again and pluck the cooking mitts off the corner. The blonde opened the oven.

“That smells really good, Terashima.” Maria complimented as Shiori removed the pan.

“Let’s just hope it’s able to cool before Tachibana inhales it all.” Tsubasa grinned.

Everyone laughed. Hibiki froze for a moment, then hurriedly wiped away the tiny bit of drools at the edge of her mouth before crossing her arms in a pout. “Jeeze, Tsubasa!”

“Let’s go see how Kirika and Shirabe are doing while it cools.” Maria suggested. “They brought a new friend, if I recall correctly.”

—

“So that’s a Symphogear?” Kawada asked, staring at the pendant held up to her face in curiosity. It also helped distract her from the wary look Shirabe was giving her.

“Yep, this is my Igalima.” Kirika boasted. “The scythe that can cut through anything!”

Kawada knew this intellectually. It was remarkable what one learned if they sat down and actually leafed through the documentation instead of just going by whatever the media chose to focus on. The latter tended to talk about the very big or the utterly inane and hence skipped over some quite important details one only really found in the former. But Kawada should have figured that knowing intellectually could never make up for experiencing personally.

That little red pendant. Basically the source of all their power. If she could get it away from them somehow… Briefly Kawada wondered if she could ask to hold it but quickly discarded the thought. Yeah, no way would they trust her with that. Nor should they.

Kawada wanted to frown. Where had that last thought come from? She chose not to mull over it, instead asking “So, you could transform any time with it?”

“Well…” Kirika paused. “In theory, yeah. We’re not supposed to if it isn’t needed though. So we can’t show off or anything like that.” The blonde decided not to mention the LiNKER issue for the moment. Partially because she couldn’t recall if that had been in the released files and partially since it shouldn’t be an issue for much longer. Since the Curse of Balal had been destroyed, Elfnein had informed them that the former-FIS’s improving ability to synch with their relics was quickly obviating any need for the drug. Maria was already beyond it and Kirika and Shirabe were estimated to be just weeks away from discarding it as well.

Miku, for her part, turned out not to need it at all since February. Apparently, her exposure to Divine Power while possessed by Shem-Ha had caused her synchronization with the Shenshoujing to go through the roof. She had gone from easily being the lowest of any of them to behind only the original Second Division trio. Kirika would call her lucky if she hadn’t gotten her powers from being possessed by a murder-happy evil goddess.

“‘Sup, nerds.” Chris said as she suddenly plopped down next to Shirabe.

Shirabe shot the Ichaival user a look of slight disbelief. “You got better grades then we did, Senpai.”

“Yes, but it is my privilege as your rough and tumble Senpai to call you nerds nonetheless.” Chris nodded sagely, then she glanced at Kawada. “Iwa, right?”

“Yes.” Kawada replied, bowing slightly in greeting. “Nice to meet you Yukine-senpai.”

Chris eyed her for a moment. “You too. And thank you.”

Kawada blinked. “Erm… for what?”

“Talking to me like a normal person.” Chris sighed, “Everywhere I go these days, the only strangers who talk to me like I’m an actual human being are reporters and they try to pump me for information.”

“It… really bugs you all, that much?” Kawada asked in amazement. “I mean, I knew people were acting distant at school…”

“We never wanted to be famous. Not for being Symphogears users.” Shirabe answered. “Protecting the world just meant protecting what was important to us. Those we love.“ She looked at Kirika, who blushed a little. “Our friends.” She looked at Chris, who simply nodded. Then she turned back to Kawada. “And since we know everyone else had those same things, we knew they were worth protecting too.”

Kawada sat back, lost in her own thoughts. Two sentiments were warring within her. One was moved by their words and wanted to sympathize. The other screamed about Katai, was he _not _worth protecting?

“Anyways, you two.” Chris said to Kirika and Shirabe. “I…” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I never got the chance to apologize for what happened last week.” Kirika and Shirabe looked at her in confusion, so she added some clarification. “At the Château.”

“Wha-” Kirika began, then she _kinda_ remembered. “Oh! Oh! It’s fine! It’s okay!” She paused. “What are you apologizing for again?”

Chris wanted to facepalm in exasperation. Great, now that was going to make this even more awkward. “You guys, ah, remember that explosion that knocked you down?” Kirika and Shirabe nodded. “That was me…” Chris shifted, deeply uncomfortable. “I lost my temper against Voronin and didn’t check to see if you would be caught in the attack and…” The Ichaival user looked at the floor, unable to meet her kouhai’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I wanted to apologize earlier, but then we got exposed and the whole week happened and yeah...” She kicked at the floor despondently.

“It’s okay.” The Zababa’s response echoed together. Chris looked up in surprise, not really expecting they would actually forgive that easily. Kirika smiled reassuringly. “You didn’t mean it, right? And we were able to deal with it in spite of everything. So we forgive you.”

Chris sagged with relief, her eyes tearing for a moment before abruptly remembering she was supposed to be the rough and tumble senpai. “W-well, I’m glad!” She added hastily. “It’s good to hear you weren’t hurt!”

Kirika and Shirabe exchanged a look and then rolled their eyes good naturedly.

“I’m sorry.” Eyes turned back to Kawada as she spoke up again in befuddlement, pulling herself out of her reverie to review the bits of the conversation she had picked up. “I’m a bit lost. The Château? You mean the Château De Tiffauges? They said it blew up in an accident, didn’t it?”

“I don’t think we’re supposed to talk about it.” Kirika began. “It’s still class-”

“To hell with it.” Chris interrupted. “It’s not like there’s any point now. Hell, I can’t believe they haven’t declassified it, despite everything else.” She turned to look at Kawada. “The Château was destroyed by the Four Horsemen.”

“The Anti-SONG terrorists?” Kawada said in shock. “The same ones who blew up that bank yesterday and-“

“-leaked our identities. Yeah, them.” Kirika finished but her voice had become melancholy. She was thinking about Darmawan’s claim again. Shirabe shifted closer and reached out to take her hand.

“That’s not all they’ve done.” Chris growled. Kawada looked at her questioningly but the silver-haired girl simply shook her head. “Let’s just say they’ve taken a good friend from us and leave it at that.”

Shirabe nodded quickly, deciding to backtrack the conversation. “You might have heard about an SDF exercise at the same time? They evacuated a part of the city for it? That was actually our attempt to retake the Château before the Horsemen destroyed it. Their soldiers are…” She trailed off, not knowing precisely how to describe them.

Chris didn’t have that problem. “Their soldiers are a pack of psychos.” She bit out. “We still don’t actually know whether they were there just to destroy the Château though. Not like an explosion that big left a lot of evidence about what they were doing in there.”

“Hey!” Hibiki said as she approached to flop down on the floor, Miku following to sit next to her. There wasn’t really that much furniture in the dorm room’s living space. “What are we talking about?”

“The Four Horsemen.” Shirabe replied.

“Ugh…” Maria muttered distastefully as she leaned against the armrest. “Those murderers?”

‘_You should talk._’ Kawada carefully kept her face neutral as she glanced at the pinkette. So this was the infamous Maria Cadenzevna Eve. The bitch who had been _right there_, just standing by while Dr. Ver murdered Katai and his friends. To believe Kawada had been a fan. She had thrown out all of her memorabilia the day she learned the truth.

Forget Shirabe, she decided. If she had the chance, she’d take down Maria first.

“They may be murderers but they are also a lot more than that. We shouldn’t underestimate them.” Tsubasa calmly added as she stood next to Maria. “Still, they don’t make for the most pleasant conversation material.”

“Then how about some Karaoke instead!” Yumi said, presenting the machine as if she were offering it up for sale. She then turned to Kuriyo, “And the guest of honor should get the first pick, naturally!”

As Kuriyo laughed and tried to unsuccessfully insist someone else should pick, Chris recalled Hibiki’s earlier advice and fished out her phone. No time like the present and it wouldn’t take too long to send a text to Komichi.

\----

The sky turned red as the distant sun met the horizon. The laughter of children returning to their homes after an afternoon of play cut mingled with that of the men returning from their work. The calls of housewives and other familial matriarchs calling for those who were running late in their return. The inhabitants were used to the jungle heat hanging over the modest size village of Seia. But despite the South American idyllicism, a closer glance would reveal a tension as intense as the jungle’s heat.

Val Verde rested on a knife’s edge. The withdrawal of the UN peacekeepers the previous month had left the new civilian government lacking in professional military muscle, forcing them to rely on civilian militias whose hatred towards supporters of the old regime often outstripped their sensibility. Those supporters, of course, had been forced to organize and arm themselves, ostensibly for their own protection, and they weren’t lacking in leadership either. The Illuminati may have eradicated the senior leadership of the Junta, but a healthy minority of the middle-ranks had been able to evade both them and the UN capture missions through luck or opportunism. Some of those old Junta hands now fancied themselves candidates as new Presidente, should the opportunity present itself.

Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before civil war broke out again. There was more than enough hate and guns on both sides. The powder was well and truly piled up, all that was needed was a spark.

The fear of war was but one of the many worries that weighed on the mind of Sonya Virena. Another was the recent rumors that had cropped up in the past two months about monsters deep in the jungle, a rumor that had been reinforced by the disappearance of a party of villagers who had gone to investigate it. Sonya didn’t know quite how much stock to place in the rumors, since they were so inconsistent on what the monsters looked like. The early ones had said they were about the size of men with two dull blue eyes. But some more recent ones claimed the creatures were larger, possessed a single red eye, and had smooth bodies. In either case, Sonya had forbidden all of her siblings from going into the Jungle.

The next worry was Chris. Sonya had heard about the revelations about the Symphogears along with the rest of the world. Initially, they had not affected her much although she had made sure to send off a quick letter of support to Chris. But since around the mid-week, the foreign media had apparently caught onto her association with the Yukine family and, most importantly, the young Chris. Sonya had turned down the early foreign journalists who were brave enough to fly into the powderkeg out of respect for the adaptors privacy. She knew Chris didn’t want the attention and as her friend, she was determined to respect that.

Then they had started sweetening the pot and offering money in exchange for an interview. The initial sums were paltry enough for her to ignore them, but they had quickly crept up and Sonya’s resolve was wavering. Her family was far from impoverished, but they were not so wealthy that money wasn’t a serious temptation for them. Today, she had decided to send another letter to Chris asking what, if anything, she would be comfortable with Sonya talking about. Until then, she would continue to refuse the interviews.

Sonya’s final and most immediate worry was Stephan, her youngest brother. The one Chris herself had saved and who had prompted their reconciliation. He had recently hit a snag in his hopes of becoming a football player. The leg he had received in Japan was a masterpiece of prosthetic engineering, which ironically made him too good to play professionally. It gave him an unnatural advantage against the other players. Because of his new leg, Stephan was running into regulations and policies that invalidated him from playing.

Fortunately, Sonya had wonderful news for Stephan when he got home. News that would solve it nicely. A foreign visitor from just after lunch who, for once, wasn’t a journalist had given it to her.

“La Hermana! We’re home!” Seven voices chorused. Sonya was infinitely amused that she was always _The _Sister to her family.

“Good!” She called back. “Now go wash-up! Salena has dinner ready!”

She nodded to Salena, the third eldest, the one who stayed home and helped with the housework when Sonya didn’t have work and did all of it when she did. “I’ll go make sure they wash-up.”

Her siblings probably didn’t need to be monitored but it gave her the opportunity to tell Stephan. She entered the hall to find them all nicely lined up by the bathroom, taking their turns washing their hands. Sonya tapped Stephan on the shoulder and tilted her head to the side, the classic sign of wanting that she wanted to talk to him alone. They stepped into the living room together.

“There was a man from the LifeWyze Corporation here today.” She began. “He said they could recreate your leg. Not a prosthetic: an actual biological leg, just like your old one.”

“What?” Stephan gaped in amazement. “They can do that?”

“Apparently it’s a recent breakthrough.” Sonya replied. “Finished clinical trials just a few weeks ago. They recalled your prosthetic visit to Japan and wanted to show that they could match it to an international audience.”

Stephan’s amazement faded away, replaced with thoughtful concern. He looked back down at his leg. “It’s not because of Chris, is it?”

Sonya had wondered the same thing. Hell, since the publications she had briefly wondered if perhaps her association with Chris was why Stephan was able to get the prosthetic. Sonya understood: Stephan didn’t want to be a charity case. It was the same reason she had turned down Chris’s offer to just send them some money from her SONG pay, save for holiday and birthday gifts. And Chris had understood that too. “If it was, the representative who came today didn’t mention it.”

“I’ll think about it.” Stephan finally said after a few moments. Sonya nodded and indicated he should go to finish washing. She knew that as impulsive as Stephan could be, when he actually did think things through he always came to the right decision. Stepping out, she returned to the kitchen to wash her own hands and assist Salena in carrying the food to the table.

The LifeWyze man seemed so hardworking, Sonya mused as Salena began serving out the food. She hoped he had found the time to take some sort of break. A skin tone _that _pallid couldn’t possibly be a sign of good health.

—

_“This is Red Unit. All White Unit battlegroup positions verified. Commence the operation.” _

—

The first burst of gunfire chopped through the chatter of the dinner table like a cleaver through meat. Everyone fell silent, their heads turned in the direction it had come from. There had been one or two instances of gunfire before. A militia sentry getting spooked and firing off at a wild animal or something. Everyone silently prayed it was that again.

The prayer went unanswered. More gunfire joined the first burst, then even more. Shouts and screams quickly joined the initial cacophony of combat. The first explosions followed a few moments later. Sonya shot to her feet and rushed to the doorway, Stephan and the rest of her family following. To the north, west, and east, the village was already burning.

But not to the south.

Sonya saw one of the village militia running away from the fighting. Stephan spotted him at the same time and a scowl crossed his face. “Hey! Where are _you _going?!”

“The radios have stopped working! I’m a messenger!” The militiaman shouted back as he ran past.

Stephan actually had the good graces to look chastened by that. But alarm shot through Sonya. She turned and ran back into the living room, flipping on the family radio and scanning all the channels. Nothing came back but static.

“Everyone.” Sonya forced herself to remain calm. Her family was looking to her. “Grab your emergency bags.”

The sound of gunfire drew closer as the siblings scattered, pulling backpacks and travel bags from their selected stashes. It might not be necessary to flee the village but they had to make preparations even if they were to shelter close-by. By the time Sonya had grabbed her own travel bag and returned to the front door, the first of their neighbors were already running by, fleeing south.

“The monsters!” One man was hysterically sobbing. “It’s the monsters!” He was bleeding from the shoulder as he ran.

Sonya scanned the growing crowd of refugees before spotting a familiar face. “Carlos!”

The village’s most well known handyman’s head whipped around at her call. His eyes were somewhat wild and in shock. Sonya wondered where his wife was. It took a few moments for recognition to register in his eyes. “Sonya! You have to leave, quickly. They’re killing _everyone_. The militia’s already been wiped out!”

“Is it really the monsters?” Salena asked, her voice weak with fear.

“Do you think monsters use guns?” Carlos asked rhetorically. “No, they're definitely soldiers. Although I don’t recognize their equipment. And I’ve never seen men move so… _mechanically _before. Still, you have to hurry. They’re sparing no one. Nina, she…” He trailed off, grief crossing his face.

Sonya could guess what had happened. “I’m sorry.”

Carlos simply swallowed and nodded before turning and disappearing into the growing crowd. The gunfire was very close now as the family set out. Everyone was fleeing south, the only direction where there wasn’t gunfire. Sonya had a suspicion it wouldn’t be so simple but what other option did they have?

Her suspicion was confirmed when additional gunfire indeed erupted to the south up ahead of them. The refugee column they had fallen into was still about a block from the village outskirts and their view was blocked by houses, but the sheer volume told them everything they needed to know. The crowd staggered to a halt as the head of the column recoiled back into the forward momentum of the rest, creating gridlock. People were starting to panic. They were packed in and trapped now.

A distant rumble grew into a cacophony of whistles. Sonya had been under mortar fire before and acted on instinct. She turned and threw herself atop Stephan. The youngest Virena brother couldn’t hear himself screaming as the string of cluster munitions burst over the crowd. The pressure waves knocked the breath from him and he felt something punch his left shoulder.

He didn’t know how long he lay there in a daze but when he finally sat up, only then did he register the body sliding off of her. Abruptly he realized it was his eldest sister.

“Sonya? Sonya?!” Stephan moaned. His sister didn’t answer, her eyes were glazed, staring blankly at the sky. Her chest didn’t move. Stephan felt a growing wetness on his left shoulder and looked down. He thought distantly that perhaps he should be alarmed by the amount of blood he could see. There was also that distant ache. That was annoying.

Stephan was vaguely aware of other people around him, some wounded and some not, staggering about. He looked around, trying to find the rest of his family. “Salena? Sandro? Senano? Sen-”

He was interrupted by bursts of nearby gunfire. Some of the people he could see abruptly collapsed and tracers scythed around him. He turned to run but instead he toppled forward and could only find just enough strength to roll over. The sound of gunfire ceased. In their place he heard boots hammer on the ground and the rumble of an engine coming closer.

Stephan’s last sight before he blacked out was two dull blue dots staring down at him.

—

_“This is Red Unit. Main Objective Liquidated. Objectives HVTs liquidated. One HVI liquidated. One HVI secure. All White Unit battlegroups, liquidate remaining nonresistors and stand-by for egress rendezvous grid coordinates.”_

\----

**Next Chapter:** Festival of Skewered Brains.

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Show of hands, back in chapter 6, how many of you thought Voronin was just mouthing off when he mentioned Sonya and Stephan?
> 
> Originally, chapter 9 was to cover both all of this AND the second press conference. But then the press conference started becoming so huge that I realized I’m probably going to have to make it it’s own chapter. So I did. With any luck, me and my beta’s will have it done by the weekend.


	10. Festival of Skewered Brains

Distortions  
Chapter 10:  
Festival of Skewered Brains

\----

_Val Verde Ceasefire Broken. Village Massacre Provokes Renewed Fighting. Civil War Reignites._

Neither the headline nor the short article that accompanied it in the corner of the foreign pages were remotely exhaustive. Chris tried to tell herself that there was not a single indication that Sonya or Stephan or any of the Virena family were victims. Hell, she didn’t even know if it was their village. The paper had said little more than it had been a center of resistance to the old Junta and hence supporters of the old regime were the ones getting the blame.

But as much as her mind tried to rationalize and reassure, her heart screamed otherwise. Voronin had gone through with his threat. No, she corrected herself, it hadn’t been a threat. As she was quite quickly learning, the Four Horsemen didn’t stop at mere threats. As if they hadn’t taken enough from her as it was!

Chris should have asked SONG to secure them the moment the Château fight was over. No, she should have booked her own damn plane ticket that very night! The open newspaper wrinkled as her fists clenched, tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. Sonya, Stephan, all their siblings… why did this have to happen to them, after everything? Why? _Why?_ **_Why?!_**

A comforting hand fell on her shoulder and she turned to meet Hibiki’s worried eyes. No words were necessary, she could feel the shared sorrow and promise of support through her eyes alone. It briefly occurred to Chris that this was just like that time during the Shem-Ha incident, just after Noble Red kidnapped Miku, only the roles were inverted. But then looking around the car, the Ichaival user realized abruptly that it wasn’t _quite _like Shem-Ha because Hibiki wasn’t the only one. Miku, Kirika, and Shirabe looked at her too the same way, communicating the same message.

“Thanks.” Chris breathed, wiping away the tears. If nothing else, come hell and high water, she would always have the bonds of those who fought with her, who saved her. Just as she did with her parents. Just as she did with Genjuro.

And so long as she had those, she could still get everything back. And if in the process she made Voronin, the rest of the White Noise, and all of the Four Horsemen pay… well, that would be a very nice little bonus.

Chris straightened herself and glanced out the window. The motorcade was pulling onto the Foreign Ministry’s street. This would probably be her last chance to send Komichi one last text. She took out her phone.

_“arrive at conference Prob gon suck but y care? wish me luck”_

Chris hit send. She didn’t expect a reply. Certainly Komichi hadn’t replied to any of the last half-dozen she had sent to the girl during the weekend. But Chris could see they were being read, and that gave her hope. Perhaps during the break she’d go to Komichi’s house. She had her address, after all. And if Komichi tried to put up another wall?

Well, she’d just blast through. Just like Hibiki said.

“Ready for this, Chris?” Hibiki asked as they pulled up.

Chris looked out at the field of reporters lining the walkway. The small smile that had briefly graced her face fell away. Sure, her mood was better than it had been on Friday. But she knew she wasn’t ready for this.

She didn’t say that, though. Instead she said, “Do I have a choice?”

—

Twenty minutes later, Chris didn’t know if she wanted to claw her eyes out from boredom or run away from the mounting nervousness.

“The order will be Tachibana, Kohinata, Yukine, Akatsuki, Tsukuyomi.” Yoshigahara was saying. The PR director opened his briefcase and swiftly slid a paper to each of the adaptors. “This conference’s timeframe is only somewhat longer than the previous one, so your opening statements will be much shorter. We also managed to vet a few of the reporters this time around, so keep an eye out for some questions from the people on the listed stations.”

Kirika squirmed in her seat. “A-are you sure we have to do this?”

“I’m afraid the Security Council has been quite insistent.” Commander Ogawa said with sympathy.

“It’s alright Kirika.” Maria reassured her. “Just remember what you practiced on Friday and everything will be fine.”

“Why are you two here, anyway?” Chris asked the older two adaptors, a little more snappily than usual. Being in the same room as Yoshigahara was fouling her mood. “You don’t have to go up in front of those goons out there.”

“You don’t want us here, Yukine?” Tsubasa asked.

Chris swiftly backpedaled. “I didn’t say that!”

“Then that’s why.” Maria replied.

Yoshigahara checked the time. “Alright, it’s almost time. Good luck out there. And Yukine; try to remain calm, no matter what they ask you.”

Chris didn’t deign to give him an answer.

—

Like with Maria and Tsubasa, it was a podium-and-chair format. Two podiums, as before, one of which Ogawa headed over too when the time came even though he wasn’t expected to speak this time around. Miku had taken the opportunity to wish Hibiki luck before the time had been called, so the Gungnir user headed straight for the empty remaining podium first without taking any of the five seats left out for them.

“I am Hibiki Tachibana, wielder of the relic Gungnir, United Nations designation SG-r03’.” Hibiki Tachibana said in the most professional tone of voice she had ever used in her entire life. “When I was thirteen years old, I barely survived a Noise attack thanks to the Symphogear adaptors at that time, Kanade Amou and Tsubasa Kazanari. Since then, I’ve worked to prevent something like that from happening to anybody else, and two years ago, I became a Symphogear adaptor and joined SONG. As long as I’m allowed to wield Gungnir, I will continue to use my power to help people.”

Hibiki swallowed, more than a bit nervous as she looked out at the crowd before her. Never before had this many eyes looked upon her so intently. Was this how Tsubasa or Maria felt before the start of a concert? But she couldn’t let her friends down. She couldn’t let SONG down. She had a duty to everyone. Even if she couldn’t get rid of her nervousness, she could still channel the nervous energy into making herself as powerful as possible!

Taking a deep breath, she put her best smile, a mask to hide her anticipation and said, “I’m very happy to see all of you here. I hope that I can answer all of your questions. I’ll tell you everything but my measurements!” She gave the television audience the playful wink she’d practiced all morning, hoping she got it _just _right.

It seemed as though the crowd was satisfied with such a response, as there were some polite murmuring and nods of approval amongst the various reporters. One reporter, an older Japanese man with white mustache and a nice navy-blue suit, raised his hand. Since he was the first to do so, Hibiki pointed towards him.

“The Anti-SONG group known as the Four Horsemen has denounced the relics that make up your Symphogears as a threat to humanity and are demanding their destruction.” He rubbed his mustache with his pen before putting it to the notepad in his hand. “Do you have a response to them?”

Hibiki inhaled and then exhaled. Yoshigahara knew that a question like this would have come up, and he had given her what she felt was the best possible response. “Even if they have good goals, that doesn’t justify their methods. Hurting innocent people is wrong, no matter the reason. A better world can’t be created by hurting others, but through kindness. That’s what I believe.”

The next reporter, a young man whose name tag marked him as being from _The Data Gazette _raised his hand and said aloud, “So methods aside, do you agree with their goals? If they agreed to stop hurting people, would you agree that the relics need to be destroyed?”

“Well,” Hibiki started, struggling to remember her scripted response. “I never said that I agree with their goals. I consider myself to be pretty open-minded, but the Symphogears have been used to help a lot of people too. Tsubasa, Chris, and I once saved a space shuttle from crashing saving a lot of lives, for instance. The relics can be a big help for people too!”

The man nodded, his face settling into a neutral stare. He looked like he had more questions, but it was against the rules for him to continue arguing. Before Hibiki could ponder that, her next question came to her, this time from a young female reporter with brown hair.

“According to your leaked dossier,” she started. “You suffered from a severe bullying campaign in Middle School. Given this opportunity to speak your mind in view of your now publicized status, is there anything you might want to say to the people who persecuted you then?”

“Bullying is bad, kids. You never know when the person you’re bullying is going to grow up to be a superhero.” Hibiki said with a completely straight face. This got a few chuckles out of the reporters in the room. “I’m serious. There’s no reason it should ever happen to anyone ever again.”

Miku wanted with all of her heart to run up to the podium and place her hand on Hibiki’s shoulder. She wanted to reassure her she wasn’t alone. As if reading her heart’s desire, Chris placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “We’ve got her back, and she knows it.“ Next to Chris, Kirika and Shirabe nodded affirmingly.

Another female reporter, this one with long, black hair, came next. In a slightly husky voice, she said, “Our paper, the _Chiba Prefecture News Tribune_, was one of the outlets that followed your story up until you left for Lydian. At the time, we never had a chance to interview anybody on this, but there were rumors back then that your father, Akira Tachibana, had become abusive before he left the family. Was this true? And how is your relationship to your father now?”

Hibiki swallowed. _Deep breathes,_ she reminded herself. “I… it was a long time ago, and what’s past is past. We’ve gotten past a lot of our hurdles, so we’re in a much better place now than we were back then. I hope my dad is able to come back to our family, but what’s broken isn’t easily put back together.” 

“Thank you, and I’m glad to hear that.” The woman smiled pleasantly.

Hibiki took a drink of water. The questions were tough, but she would make it through. This was just like deflecting a bunch of projectiles with her fists, but instead it was answering questions. Soon it would be over. Hopefully, she wouldn’t say the wrong thing before her time was up.

The next reporter had a sly grin and neatly-combed white hair. “There’s been a lot of speculation that you and Miku Kohinata are romantically involved, particularly given the revelations surrounding the Shem-Ha incident.” He asked with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “Would you care to offer any comment on those allegations?”

“Of course,” Hibiki excitedly started. She felt so blessed to have gotten such an easy question. “Miku and I are in love.” The sheer _bluntness _of the statement to a press corps expecting a much more formulaic sounding reply was enough to cause the entire room to fall silent. Taking no notice of the stunned atmosphere, Hibiki closed her eyes, smiled widely, tilted her head slightly, and recited what she always said about her girlfriend. “Miku Kohinata is my sunshine. The warmest place is where I’m next to her, and that’s the place I always return to. It’s always been that way, and it always will be so!”

The stunned silence persisted for a few more moments. Chris rubbed her temples. Leave it to that idiot to airily make that kind of statement on **_international television_**. The Ichaival user glanced over at Miku to see how she was taking it. Predictably, the black-haired girl’s face was as red as Chris’s Symphogear armor and had her hands shielding it from the world to hide her embarrassment. Rather more surprising, to Chris, was also the smile she could see through the cracks in the fingers.

“Hey? Are you okay?” Chris whispered.

“I want to be furious.” Miku whispered back, although her voice sounded far more giddy than anything. “But I can’t. Because it’s just like Hibiki.”

Chris couldn’t argue with that, so she just turned back to the conference. The silence had dragged on just long enough that even Hibiki had started to take note of it and began to wonder if she had said something wrong. But that also meant it ran long enough to run down the remaining time.

“I believe that is all the time we have for today. Thank you, Tachibana.” Ogawa said, nodding to her.

Hibiki blinked for a moment, not quite believing it was over, before flashing a smile and bowing slightly towards the reporters. “Thank you very much!”

She turned to go sit down. Miku, her own blush fading as she steadied herself for the task ahead, stood up to take her place. The two paused momentarily as they passed each other, exchanging reassuring glances before carrying on.

Miku stepped up to the podium, taking every effort to appear prim and proper. “I am Miku Kohinata, wielder of the relic Shenshoujing, United Nations designation SG-i03.” She began, modulating her smile so it appeared more ‘pleasant’ compared to Hibiki’s ‘eager’. “As you are aware, I only obtained my Symphogear back in February, and I am the newest adaptor. However, I knew the others and worked for SONG well before then and have been with them for almost as long as Hibiki has. I hope to use the Shenshoujing to follow alongside her and help as many people as I can.” She bowed slightly. “I hope I can address all of your concerns.”

A number of hands came up at that. Quickly scanning the room, Miku caught one of the men who she recalled from the earlier list of vetted reporters.

The reporter adjusted his glasses so the light caught them. “Unlike the other adaptors, the leaked reports do not make it very clear how you obtained your Symphogear. Are you able to tell us anything about how you acquired it?”

Miku supposed that was a simple enough opener. “During the Shem-Ha Incident, I was kidnapped by people who wanted to control the Custodian when she possessed me. The Shenshoujing was originally used by my kidnappers as a device to try and control Shem-Ha. After the incident, SONG was able to use the remnants of the Shenshoujing to build a new Symphogear I could use to help people instead.”

Technically, what Miku had now was more of a Faust Robe, but Elfnein had included Symphogear parts into Shenshoujing after the Shem-Ha Incident, rendering it functionally identical to the others’ Symphogears. Miku saw no need to try and prompt any questions over such an insignificant distinction. She called on the next reporter.

“During your possession by Shem-Ha, how aware of events were you?” The man asked. “Did you try to fight back or regain control?”

“I…” Miku had to pause and consider her answer as her gaze became slightly distant. Those were not pleasant memories. Behind her, Hibiki shifted uncomfortably, sensing her girlfriends unease. But Miku pushed on. “I only remember some of it and what I do remember is hazy, like a dream you can barely recall. I do remember trying to fight back at a few points but… her presence was so suffocating. So dark. So cold.” She shuddered. “It was a relief when Hibiki freed me.”

She hurriedly called the next reporter, not wanting to dwell on it.

Incidentally, she wound up calling on the same man who had asked Hibiki about their love life. He seemed a bit more chastened by the experience. “We’ve already heard Tachibana’s… statement on the relationship between you and her. Is there anything else you would like to add?”

“I think Hibiki’s statement covered it well enough.” Miku’s cheeks became obviously red at the memory yet she couldn’t keep the fond smile off of her face. It was a pleasant change, chasing away the previous bad memories. And, well, she wouldn’t pass up this opportunity for a _little _payback, even if Hibiki (probably) hadn’t actually been aware of what she was doing. “Just as she thinks of me as her sunshine, to me she is my brilliant sun. She’s almost always shining so brightly.”

Hibiki’s face also turned a light red as she scratched at her cheek. She _just _managed to keep her voice inaudible from the reporters as she whispered, “This is kinda embarrassing.”

Chris facepalmed. _`Why am I surrounded by lovesick idiots?’_

Unlike with Hibiki, there wasn’t as much of a stunned silence to follow that answer. The reporters seemed to have adjusted to the fact the adaptors weren’t trying to hide their relationship from them. Quickly the hands went back up and Miku called on another.

“Your dossier and previous statements indicate that you joined SONG well before you acquired your Symphogear.” The women who asked was quite primly dressed. “What prompted you to join and what was your role in the organization?”

“It was because of Hibiki. I found out that she was a Symphogear adaptor when she saved me from an attack. At first, I was mad she had tried to take this burden all on herself and hide it away from me. But I realized I also wanted to help and the commander agreed to let me.” Miku paused to let that sink in. “As for what I did? Whatever I could. If the others needed support, I would support them. If people needed to be evacuated, I would help the evacuation. Even before I got my Symphogear, I tried to find my own way to help.”

Again, a crewman in the back signalled to Ogawa that they needed to move on. He raised both of his hands to grab the attention of the reporters. “I’m afraid that’s all the time we had allocated. Thank you, Kohinata.”

Miku again politely bowed in farewell to the reporters before stepping off. Chris sucked in a deep breath and then slowly exhaled before she stood up, ignoring the worried looks her friends on either side of her sent. _‘Okay Chris, you can do this.’_

So focused was she on keeping steady, she didn’t really notice the nod Miku sent her as they passed. She just kept repeating to herself over and over, _‘You can do this.’_

She stood up to the podium, looked at the sea of reporters, and felt her stomach drop like it had the first time she had come to Lydian, except way worse. The other girls at Lydian had regarded her with excitement and curiosity that first day. The reporters had that curiosity too, but in place of the excitement was an anticipation she did not like the look of. She thought she even saw a few of them grin like sharks for a moment but maybe that was just her nerves. _‘Oh hell, I can’t do this.’_

Nevertheless, she had to...

“I am Chris Yukine, wielder of the relic Ichaival, United Nations designation SG-r02.” She gave a reassuring smile to the audience, attempting to hide how embarrassed she was on her cohorts’ behalf earlier. “I joined the Second Division after the Kadinger Incident so that I could help protect the people of Japan from those who would use Relics to harm others. I never really did it out of any reward, and I never expected to get famous either. It was just the right thing to do. But now that I am a public figure, I’m here to answer your questions.”

One of the reporters raised their hands. When Chris called on her, she brushed aside her hair and stated, “First, I’d like to thank you for your service to our country. You’ve done a lot for us. That said, we do have you on record as having committed criminal acts before you joined SONG.” Here, Chris frowned, but continued to listen as the reporter lady went on. “Maria Cadenzavna Eve has already indicated she would be willing to stand trial if the authorities deem it necessary. Would you be willing to do the same? And do you believe the other adaptors implicated in the Frontier Incident should stand trial?”

“I can’t speak for the others, but for me? If I had absolutely had to stand trial, I would. But it’d have to be after those Four Horsemen are all behind bars. They’re still out there hurting innocent people, and as long as that's the case, I’m still needed.” She said, clenching her hand into a fist. _‘And I still have to avenge the old man too. And possibly Sonya and Stephan.’ _She thought to herself. But she stopped herself from saying that last part out loud. She had to play the part of the cool hero, according to what that Yoshigahara guy told her.

“Well, actually,” a reporter with glasses and almost stereotypically large front teeth said. “There are those who argue that the Four Horsemen fall outside of SONG’s mandate, given that they have not used any form of supernatural mechanisms. You disagree?”

Chris gave him a flat look. “Yeah, I do.” She said with a tone of voice that might as well have said _duh, idiot_. “We’ve helped with incidents that didn’t involve relics before, and those people are public enemy number one right now.”

Another reporter raised their hand, and Chris almost knew what the question was from his expression before he asked it out loud. “Why did you agree to assist Finé in unleashing the Noise?”

Chris clenched and unclenched her fists. She knew in her heart, it was an entirely reasonable question, but that didn’t mean she didn’t like it. She took a small drink of water and answered “I was young and stupid, and I didn’t realize she was a bad person until she backstabbed me.” Giving a small smile she said, “Honestly, it was so bad that I’d probably punch sixteen-year-old-me in the face.”

“What is your response to the families of the victims of Noise attacks that resulted from your activation of the Staff of Solomon?” The next reporter asked. “Do you feel any responsibility for those deaths?” 

As Chris began to answer the follow-up question, Hibiki and Miku exchanged a look. “Hibiki, Chris is…” Miku began softly.

Hibiki nodded. They both knew what the reporter’s strategy was - they were concentrating all their question time on Chris to pressure her. Considering she’d had a hard time of it this week already, Hibiki didn’t know how much Chris would hold up. 

As it was, Chris just sighed and bowed her head a little. Then she looked up, stared down the reporters as if daring them to challenge her, and said. “Being a member of SONG is my atonement for all the bad things I did working for Finé.”

Another reporter, this one with blonde hair and foreign facial features asked “Are you in a relationship with one of the other Symphogear users? And if you aren’t, who do you like?” 

Chris stared flatly at the man for a moment before answering. “**_No_**. Next question.”

“Your dossier states you were a victim of trafficking in the first civil war in Val Verde.” Another reporter shouted. “How did that influence your later experience working for Finé?”

_Deep breaths, Chris. 1, 2, 3… _Out loud, Chris answered “It made it more complicated.” 

“How? You aren’t answering the question.” The same reporter asked again.

“Look, buddy. What’s your name again?” 

“... Steven.”

“Steven. I’m sure you’re a nice guy who just wants a good story, but everything about Finé and Val Verde is a bit too personal right now for me to go into. I don’t want to air all my personal hang ups in front of the world. So please be a bit more considerate, okay?” 

From the side, Yoshigahara glared. “What is she doing?” He wondered out loud. “I know we weren’t on speaking terms earlier, but it’s like she’s ignoring everything we talked about. She needs to be taken off stage before she explodes.”

Souji nodded and went to his men.

But the questioning continued. Yet another nosy reporter replied. “According to the after action reports during the UN intervention against the Val Verde junta in the second civil war, you were responsible for severing the leg of a young boy in order to save his life from Alca-Noise. Don’t you believe there could have been a better option to save his life?” 

“Are you _really _going there. Really?” Chris rubbed her face with her free hand, her other gripping the podium quite hard. From the side, Souji and a few of his men approached.

But before they could reach the podium, the man from the _Data Gazette _spoke up. “We feel as if the public needs concrete answers on these matters. We doubt they would be very happy if they thought someone with the power to lay waste to entire sections of a city just found an excuse to shoot off someone's leg for fun.”

And that was the last straw. “FOR FUN?!” Chris shouted, raising her fist. “YOU THI-?!”

She abruptly stopped as Souji caught her hand before she could bring it down. Chris looked back in surprise at the sudden intervention and Souji swiftly shook his head before glancing over at Shinji, who himself had started to move from his own podium before Souji’s intervention. Chris blinked up at the eldest Ogawa brother for a few moments before deflating a little.

“I think it is best we end it there.” Shinji said quickly. “Thank you, Yukine.” The polite thanks sounded false even to his own ears. Chris didn’t bother responding, simply snatching her fist back from Souji’s grip and turning away to follow him away, quietly seething.

Ogawa carefully refrained from sighing as Chris was escorted away. The other four adaptors heads, their eyes filled with worry, followed the silver-haired girl as she was led past their seats and back behind the curtains. Shirabe swiftly turned to Kirika, but Kirika looked back and gave a shaky smile, trying to silently say it would all be fine. She didn’t think at all she got the message and she was more then sure her walk up to the podium was not at all confident.

“I-I am Kirika Akatsuki, wielder of the relic Igalima, United Nations designation SG-i02.” Kirika was nervous enough that she audibly stuttered with her customary opening. Chris’s recent experience clearly shook her. “I joined SONG after the Frontier Incident about a year ago alongside Shirabe. We wanted to do was to atone for our past mistakes as members of Finé, so we threw all our effort into helping others. I wanted to use what little I could do to help other people. And that’s also why I’m out here today. By answering your questions, by letting the world know the real me, I can help create transparency and mutual trust between SONG and the public, making the world a much better place. That’s the spirit I come here with.” She tried to inject her usual cheer in her voice. “So ask me anything!”

At least the reporters seemed suitably chastened by Chris’s outburst. The first woman who Kirika called on had a more hesitant air to her, her hair pulled back into a short pony-tail.

“As with Kohinata and Tachibana, the leaked documents have led to a lot of speculation you and Tsukuyomi are in a romantic relationship.” She asked. “Do you have any comments?”

“Yes.” Kirika said. “And as with Miku and Hibiki, yes we are. I don’t know where I would be without Shirabe…” She trailed off as she actually contemplated that. Probably very dead. But would that be so bad?

Kirika repressed that last thought with every bit of willpower she could muster. For her part, Shirabe only blushed lightly at first but she shot her girlfriend a worried look as Kirika trailed off. Taking note of both her friends distress, Hibiki leaned over Chris’s former seat to pat Shirabe comfortingly on the shoulder.

Another set of hands, another reporter was called. He seemed to be a foreigner, with glasses that gave him a mild-mannered look. “Why did you to continue following Doctor Ver, even after your admitted lover turned herself over?”

“Because I was scared and foolish.” Kirika said, her already diminished smile faltering completely. “I was afraid that the Moon would fall and kill everyone. I was afraid that Finé was going to awaken within me, erasing my very identity and soul. I thought that if I followed the Doctor, then at least the world and everyone in it would survive and remember me, even if I passed away.” She breathed deeply. “My fear blinded me, so I didn’t understand at first why Shirabe defected and why she decided to fight alongside the Second Division.”

“You believed you were the host of the woman Finé’s consciousness?” Another reporter, a woman with long black hair, quickly followed-up. “What was your basis for this belief?”

Well, at least _that _one was easy enough to answer. “Those with Finé’s consciousness in them could project some kind of energy barrier to protect themselves from sudden threats. Once, while Shirabe and me were out getting food, we took a moment to rest in a construction site. While we were resting there, Shirabe collapsed from exhaustion and suddenly some of the framework fell on us. When I tried to shield Shirabe from it, the energy barrier Finé used appeared. I didn’t know Shirabe was doing it unconsciously, so I thought it was me.”

There was some muttering of surprise as every single reporter immediately turned to their notes. Apparently, either that hadn’t been in the leaked material or had been overlooked. Finally, a hand came up from an officious looking man.

“We’ve heard the answer from Yukine and Cadenzavna Eve.” He asked. “Nevertheless, would _you _be willing to stand trial if charges were brought against you for your role in the Frontier Incident?”

“I would.” Kirika answered. “Should I? I don’t know. Sometimes I think so.” Shirabe straightened up very much in alarm at that. “But I beg everyone not to do it to any of the others. Maria, Yukine-senpai, Shirabe… they’re all so much better than me. Please, leave them alone.”

Shirabe wanted to leap up and deny that furiously. To shout that no, her Kiri-chan _wasn’t _any worse than any of them and ask why she would think that. Her urge was so strong that Hibiki and Miku shot her worried looks. Only the reminder from the continuous clicking of the cameras that they were in front of the world and the subsequent realization that causing a scene on international media right after Chris had probably would not help restrained her.

One last time, Ogawa caught one of the back crew signalling to him. Chris’s outburst meant they had to quickly switch. He quickly spoke up. “I’m sorry everyone, but that’s all the time we have today!” He turned to Kirika. “Thank you for your time, Akatsuki.”

Looking substantially more despondent then she did when she first came up, Kirika quietly bowed and returned to her seat. However, as she passed Shirabe heading up to the podium, the twin-tailed girl abruptly turned and threw her arms around the blonde. Kirika froze in surprise at first at the comforting hug but then she returned it after a moment. They lingered only a second, aware that they couldn’t keep it up no matter how much they wanted too, then with one last squeeze they parted.

Shirabe stepped up to the podium, carefully schooling her features as she did. “I am Shirabe Tsukuyomi, wielder of the relic Shul-Shagana, United Nations designation SG-i01.” She stated with her customary stare. She always did have the best poker face of any of them and now she exploited it to cover up her own nervousness. “As you heard from Kirka, we joined SONG after the Frontier Incident after leaving Finé. From the very beginning, all I wanted to do was help others. It was for that reason I fought for Finé, and when it became apparent their methods conflicted with this goal, I changed sides. This isn’t to excuse my actions under the organization, but to explain them and to explain why I switched sides. And in all honesty, wanting to help others was the reason all of us switched sides. Every day, I thank the gods for allowing us a second chance. I only hope that the public will also give us a chance too. That’s why I’m here tonight.” She took a drink of water and then politely bowed before the audience, signaling that she was done with her opening statement.

The first reporter to be called on was a redheaded young women wearing a yellow dress. “The after action reports for the Frontier Incident indicate you were the first of the Finé Organizations Symphogear adaptors to defect. What precisely prompted your realization that the Finé Organization was on the wrong path?”

“I had been questioning what we were doing for awhile by then.” Shirabe replied evenly. “Particularly when Doctor Ver started making most of the decisions. But the last straw was Maria.” Shirabe’s gaze fell a little at the memory. “Not because she followed the Doctor but because I could tell she didn’t want too, even though she tried to convince herself otherwise. And most of all, I could tell it was hurting her. That’s when I decided to go against the Doctor, to defect, so I could help save her and Kiri-chan from that pain.”

The next reporter was a well tanned man who didn’t look like he actually belonged in a rumpled reporters suit. “What precisely was your experience as one of FIS's receptor children?"

“Painful.” Shirabe said. “Only the others, Maria and Kiri-chan, made it bearable.” There were a few moments silence as the reporters waited for her to elaborate before they realized she was unwilling to do so. Unlike with Chris, however, they didn’t press and another set of hands came up.

“According to the after action reports for the Frontier Incident, you turned out to be the ‘receptor child’ containing the consciousness of the woman Finé.” The next reporter, a short redhead with a slightly nerdy appearance, asked. “How aware of her presence were you? Do you believe she influenced your actions in any manner?”

“I didn’t really become aware of her presence until almost the very end.” Shirabe said, frowning to herself as she contemplated the question. “Looking back on it, I don’t think there was anything about my actions she influenced… but there might have been a few things I _said _that I would not have said if she wasn’t within me. Things she wanted to say to some of the others.”

“A quick follow-up.” The same reporter added quickly. “The same reports indicate that Finé’s consciousness was purged from you, much like Shem-Ha was from Kohinata. However, unlike with Shem-Ha, not much indication is given as to how this was done. Is it possible to share any of the details?”

“No.” Shirabe answered immediately, causing the reporter to blink in surprise. “I will say it was a highly distressing event, both for me _and _for Kiri-chan. Neither of us wish to dwell on it. I asked SONG to keep the details out of the report for that reason.”

Despite her girlfriend’s words, Kirika found herself biting her lip as she recalled the incident. She had caused Shirabe so much pain in her foolishness. Hell, she had almost _killed _Shirabe, and if Finé hadn’t intervened, then her gentle moon would have been gone forever. And it would have been all Kirika’s fault.

She really was worthless, wasn’t she? The blonde’s head fell so that her bangs covered her eyes and she sniffled, trying to fight back tears. The sound was quiet enough that the reporters didn’t hear it… but the same couldn’t be said for Miku, Hibiki, Ogawa and, most of all, Shirabe.

Even though she would undoubtedly draw the cameramen’s attention, Hibiki couldn’t take it anymore. She had already been forced to sit by, unable to do anything while Chris hurt, and she would be damned if she did it again.

But even as a few reporters glanced over in surprise as Hibiki stood up, she was preempted by Shirabe turning at the sound and asking, “Kiri-chan?”

Kirika went rigid, her head jerking right up as she realized the attention of the room was back on her. Oh, great. Now she had made a fool out of herself in front of everyone. She wanted to disappear, to vanish, to d-

Two strong hands clamped on either of her shoulders as Hibiki crouched down in front of her, Miku also standing nearby. She softly said, “Hey, Kirika. Come on, let’s get out of here.” She stood up and turned back to the reporters, bowing her head. “I’m sorry for the interruption, but I can’t leave any of my friends in distress.”

As Kirika let both Miku and Hibiki help her up, Shirabe turned a pleading gaze to Ogawa. Deciding enough was enough, he made a snap decision, turning back to the reporters. “I’m sorry everyone, but I’m afraid that’s all the time we have for today. Thank you Tsukuyomi.”

Shirabe quietly and quickly bowed to the reporters, before turning and power-walking after Kirika. Hibiki and Miku both slowed down enough for Shirabe to catch up and Hibiki moving out of the way to let the twin-tailed girl quickly wrap her arms around Kirika’s shoulder. Shirabe whispered reassuringly to the blonde as the adaptors walked back through the curtains where Tsubasa and Maria were waiting for them.

The reporters watched them, stunned to silence by the nature of the abrupt and premature end to the conference. As the adaptors disappeared back behind the curtain, a few coldly and calmly stood to leave. The rest began to mutter amongst themselves, an air of concern and contemplation overcoming the initial surprise.

—

Chris was waiting for them in the meeting room. She was clearly still mad, but now that was shared with concern towards Kirika. She was pointedly ignoring Yoshigahara, who seemed to reciprocate.

“So, again, you're the expert, how did you think they did?” Tsubasa asked Yoshigara once everyone was safely settled in the conference room.

“Tachibana held herself together well. Her response to that last question was fantastic. Not often one manages to leave reporters speechless like that. I believe she also managed to effectively take any heat off of Kohinata with that answer.” The PR man nodded to the chestnut haired girl. “Good act, managing to seem so naively open.”

“Act?” Hibiki asked in confusion.

Yoshigahara didn’t seem to hear that and simply continued on. “And her response to Akatsuki’s situation was good as well.” He paused to send a look of sympathy towards the Zababa duo. “While some reporters will undoubtedly be more upset their time was cut short, I think you all left a lot of them reassessing their attitudes.”

“Do you care about anything but the PR aspect?” Chris snapped.

Yoshigahara turned to send a more reprimanding glare at the Ichaival adaptor. “I do, in fact. But looking at the PR aspect is my job, it’s what I’m paid to do.” He said. “And speaking of the PR aspect, Yukine-”

“Yeah, yeah.” Chris practically hissed, folding her arms. “I understand. I fucked up.”

“I’m afraid you _don’t _understand, Yukine.” Chris was clearly hitting the limits of Yoshigara’s patience. The man’s normally professional tone was starting to rise. “If you keep this up and your standing in the public falls low enough, the Security Council may order you removed from service and your Symphogear confiscated due to public pressure!”

Chris froze at that. They might take Ichaival away from her? But without Ichaival… how would she help her friends against the Horsemen? Disobey and refuse the Security Council? Go rogue? But then her own friends would be sent against her. Or maybe not. Maybe they would refuse, try to make the Security Council reverse their decision by presenting a united front. But then...

“And that’s not even the worst case scenario!” Yoshigara continued, cutting off Chris’s train of thought. “It isn’t just about you! How you behave reflects upon SONG. If our adaptors can’t behave in public, then that calls into question of why that is. And some people will blame SONG. If _enough _people blame SONG, then it might not just be the Chinese Government calling for the whole organization to be shut down any more. And you _know _what it would mean if those people win out.”

Chris grimaced. Yeah, she could connect the dots. Without the network of support and coordination SONG provided, the Four Horsemen would have essentially won. Even if they were permitted to keep their Gears, it would be too easy for each of them to be isolated and attacked individually, perhaps before they could even transform. And then, looking beyond what would happen to Chris and her friends, there would be nothing to stop whatever else those lunatics wanted to do. She doubted an organization willing to massacre innocent people like Caprice had done at the bank would just up and disband if they managed to destroy all the relics, and they already had shown the ability to run rings around the regular authorities.

“Alright.” She relented, looking away. “I get it.”

“Thank you.” Yoshigahara said, relief flowing through his voice. He turned to the other adaptors. “And this goes for the rest of you too. I know you didn’t want to have to deal with this, but I’m afraid that’s a choice the Horsemen have taken from you. I will help you to the best of my ability, not just because I was hired to, but because I believe you don’t deserve the indignity of such a fall.” He stepped back over to his briefcase and sat down. “But ultimately, it’s down to you to get it done, just as much as in an actual fight.” The PR man gave one last nod over to Shinji Ogawa. “That’s all I have to say, Commander Ogawa.”

“Is there anything else?” Shinji Ogawa asked. Nobody spoke for several moments.

Finally, Hibiki spoke up. “Ogawa, could... we have a few moments alone, just the seven of us?”

“Of course.” Ogawa said, having been tempted to offer that himself. Yoshigahara offered no objections of his own, in fact he too seemed to understand as he simply stood up to follow Ogawa out the door.

The moment the door closed, Hibiki spun around to face the others. She did like these wheely-spinny chairs. “Okay, first things first! Shirabe, hug your girlfriend. Tightly.”

The Shul-Shagana user didn’t need to be told twice, taking her arms off of Kirika’s shoulders to wrap her in a fiercely protective embrace.

Hibiki nodded, glad they had a start. “Next, Chris-”

“Just give me a whole lot of things to shoot in the simulator and I should be fine.” Chris said. “In fact… have they added the Four Horsemen’s guys yet?”

Tsubasa nodded. “Elfnein says the nerve-stapled soldiers and the White Noise were all added during the weekend, although they don’t have enough information about their armor and that phonic gain device to properly simulate it.” She shrugged. “Fujitaka already has a training schedule prepared, given that we now have the time available. We probably rested a bit too much on our laurels after Shem-Ha…”

“It was a well-deserved rest.” Maria sighed sadly. “If only it could have lasted longer...”

“If only it could have lasted forever.” Hibiki muttered, only heard by Miku who quickly hugged her.

Still, the prospect of repeatedly shooting Voronin in the face, even if it was just a simulated representation, was just what Chris needed to hear. “Hell, what are we waiting for then? Let’s get back to the sub.”

\----

The University of Tokyo certainly had a more spacious campus then her own college, Chris noted. Not to mention more and larger buildings, but then all that came with being the most prestigious university in the country. It briefly occurred to the silver-haired girl that with her status as a Symphogear adaptor now public, she might be able to get into the university based on that alone.

Yeah, fuck that, she decided. With her grades, she probably could have managed it anyways. It wasn’t like she wanted to apply here. She had chosen her college based on criteria other than prestige.

Still, it would be the only place she could see Professor Makoto during the summer. Well, there was his home, but Chris was simply unprepared to impose on him that much.

“Is Professor Makoto in?” She asked the receptionist.

“He is.” She replied, not even glancing up. “Do you have an appointment?”

“He said I could see him any time.” Chris was just waiting for _the _question.

“Could I have a name?”

Chris braced herself for the inevitable. “Chris Yukine.”

The receptionists head came up, her eyes abruptly widening in recognition and shock. Her mouth opened and closed silently for a few seconds before she quickly punched a number on her phone. “Makoto-sensei, a Chris Yukine is here to see you.”

“Oh, please send her in.”

The receptionist hastily indicated one of the hallways. “Third door on your right, ma’am.”

“Thanks.” Walking away, Chris sighed at the extremely formal tone the receptionist had dropped into. Was she ever going to get used to that? It’d been more than a week now...

“Yukine.” Professor Makoto greeted from behind his desk. “You did well on the test.”

“Thanks.” The adaptor acknowledged as she took a seat across from him.

“I wish I could say the same for the Press Conference too, though.” He folded his hands. “But then the press did seem to have it a bit out for you there.”

“They’re like piranhas.” Chris angrily muttered. “I don’t know how Maria and senp-um, Kazanari put up with them.”

“The public likes their heroes to be simple, the protagonists of black-and-white morality tales. Such conceit has marred mankind’s thinking for millenia,” Makoto replied. “The nuances of a situation like yours can be difficult for many to understand.”

“Hm, they did seem to like the dummy the most.” Chris replied, although her voice had no venom. She didn’t fault Hibiki or hold any jealousy over the fact. Hell, after everything they had been through Chris was glad the public seemed to accept her and apparently were warming to Miku as well if some of the headlines she glimpsed were any indication.

But Chris didn’t want to be unpopular. Hell, she didn’t want to be popular. She didn’t want to be famous at all. The silver-haired adaptor found herself mulling over one word that the Professor had used though. “Heroes…” She muttered. “You really think we’re heroes, professor?”

He raised an eyebrow in slight confusion. “Don’t you?”

“I don’t know.” Chris answered, staring at the Professor's desk in thought. “My friend, Tachibana, has said she isn’t a hero several times.”

Professor Makoto snorted. “Tachibana? Really? I mean, in a way, it’s probably good she thinks that way. Many of history’s villains have deluded themselves they are really heroes. Just look at Doctor Ver.”

“She never did it alone though.” Chris clarified quickly.

“So? Neither have any of history’s other great figures. Just take science as an example. Alexander Flemming was considered a great scientist, but he wouldn’t have made the breakthroughs he did without the work of many other thinkers whose names are left out of textbooks. And he isn’t alone either; many of history’s “great men” were the culmination of the efforts of various lesser individuals who didn’t get a fraction of the limelight. And heroes are no exception. Heroism is a collective activity, one made possible only through the work of many people. That you work with others does not make you any less of a hero.”

“‘Other _great figures’_?” Chris repeated, emphasizing the words as she looked up in curiosity. “So we’re not just heroes, but the inventors of the next Penicillin?” She asked, skeptical.

“Yukine.” Makoto said gently. “Greatness is a matter of scale. You are not great heroes because you have saved individual lives. You are not great heroes because you have saved many lives. You are great heroes because you have saved the lives of all humanity. Not just once, but five times over. Not a single other hero in history can claim to have done that even once.”

“But we didn’t do it alone.” Chris repeated. “We couldn’t have done it if not for the support of everyone at SONG. Are _they _heroes too?”

“Of course.” Makoto answered immediately, leaning back. “The trickier question is, are they as _great _heroes as you are and for that… there probably isn’t an easy answer. The cut off point between the ‘great’ and the ‘ordinary’ isn’t easy to define. You’ll have to decide on your own.”

Chris sat back for a moment to consider all the people that have helped her and her friends along the way. Elfnein, who was willing to work herself to to the bone for their sake unless the adaptors dragged her away from her lab. Chris was sure Kirika and Shirabe were planning to take her somewhere during the summer break for that. Tomosato and Fujitaka, who monitored them in their fights, helped them coordinate, and motivated them not to give up. Ogawa, who got them the information they needed to win and protected them from the public eye until the word came out. And, of course, Genjuro, who trained them, provided them another place to go and confide, and refused to let them fight until they were ready. Not to mention all of the other men and women who worked for SONG, whether they risked their lives on the front lines or worked behind the scenes within the bureaucracy.

Yeah, as far as Chris was concerned, they were all great heroes in her book. She was sure the other adaptors would agree. She supposed there might also be some other people who might disagree. The silver-haired woman was sure those people could go fuck themselves.

Chris’s SONG communicator startled her from her contemplation.

“Duty calls?” Professor Makoto smiled in understanding.

“Something like that.” Chris answered, offering the Professor her own little smile in return. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Makoto said immediately. “Good luck, Yukine.”

Chris nodded her farewell and stood up, bringing the communicator to her ear as she left. “Yukine here.”

Fujitaka’s voice came to her. He didn’t waste any time. “We’ve found a Four Horsemen base.”

“Where?” Was the very first question that leapt from Chris.

“Panau.”

\----

**Next Chapter: **Beyond the Unseen Horizon

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Panau is basically the one from Just Cause 2. Yes, I will actually be incorporating some of the actual geography of the game into the upcoming battle. No, I do not consider it enough to warrant a crossover tag, any more than the inclusion of Val Verde means this fic (or Symphogear fics in general) warrants a crossover tag with Arnold Schwazeneggar’s Commando.


	11. Beyond the Unseen Horizon

Distortions  
Chapter 11:  
Beyond the Unseen Horizon

\----

The images of the facility on the main screen certainly looked industrial enough to the adaptors. Thick pipes wound their way in and around enormous fuel tanks. Factory smokestacks towered into the sky, dwarfing the people around them. Innumerable shipping containers lay atop tractor-trailers in vast loading yards. Blocky warehouses and immense rectangular buildings were connected by a tangle of walkways.

“The complex is located in the southeastern foothills of the Berawar Besay Mountains, bordering the East Tanaway Raya.” Director Souji Ogawa said. “The land is owned by a shell company whose only other asset is an administrative office in the United States run by a skeleton staff. It was taking in extraordinary numbers of raw materials and fuels, especially rare earth materials. And somehow, despite this, the company only produces a fraction of the deliverables that their raw material intake would indicate.”

“Sounds like just the place we’re looking for.” Hibiki quipped.

“In those terms, yes.” Director Ogawa nodded. “However, we believe that this is only a small portion of the full facility. We suspect the bulk of the complex is actually below ground.”

A picture of two massive concrete doors appeared on the screen. As the picture zoomed out, it depicted the entire back of the facility, revealing that the factory was built into a hillside.

“The bunker doors make it rather obvious,” Fujitaka began. ”However, there is also this.” An overhead map of Panau appeared below the photos, with the location of the facility marked on the map. A series of relatively small circles were scattered across the map, but a particularly thick cluster was grouped right around the facility. “The circles on the map mark where the computer terminal “‘trunks’ created by Yggdrasil came out of the earth during the Shem-Ha Incident. Particularly large numbers of trunks were clustered around where the cores were. When Yggdrasil was destroyed, the trunks collapsed forming significant underground caverns.”

Tsubasa caught on quickly. “And that would greatly simplify the construction of an underground facility.”

“Okay, we got one of their places.” Kirika said. “So we’re gonna storm it and see what we can learn there, right?”

But to everyone’s surprise, Commander Shinji Ogawa shook his head. “I’m afraid it isn’t so simple. There are two problems: one practical and one political. We’ve already discussed the practical last Friday.”

“We can’t all go,” Maria recalled. “Not even a majority of us can go. Or the White Noise would gang up on us.”

“What’s the political one?” Miku asked.

“China,” Commander Ogawa said quickly. On the screen, a picture of a week-old news article with the headline ‘Chinese Walk Out of Island Negotiations Amid Worsening Tensions’ appeared. “Panau is a Chinese ally and a major staging point for their naval patrols of the trade routes to Africa and the Middle East. As a result, they have serious reservations to the Americans putting forces into the place. And that goes double for SONG, given how the Chinese government has officially withdrawn their support for our organization.”

“Additionally, the Europeans and the Russians have also lodged objections,” Director Ogawa continued. “They’ve all pointed out that SONG’s charter forbids it from intervening in human conflicts absent supernatural forces like heretical technology.”

“WHAT?!” Chris stomped her foot in outrage. “You mean they’re going to gut our ability to actually do some actual harm against these bastards over a _technicality_?!”

“Not quite,” Fujitaka said with a smile. On the screen, a silent video of the American president making a press conference appeared. It appeared to be lifted from some Japanese news station, as there was a chyron that read ‘U.S. President: We will support Japan, our historic ally.’

He continued. “All the recent attacks on Japanese soil has made a lot of powerful people in the government very angry. And they’ve pressured the Americans to help us reach a compromise.” Though in truth, with the assassinations of a number of their Congressmen the Americans didn’t need much pressuring.

“And one that fits quite well with solving our practical problem.” Tomasoto added.

Director Ogawa continued. “We’re allowed to take two Symphogear adaptors as backup for the American Marine Corps. Should the Four Horsemen employ any heretical technology or display any supernatural capabilities, we’ll be able to deploy them to the front lines. Otherwise, the Americans are expected to take the lead.“

“What kind of compromise is that?!” Kirika asked incredulously, sounding almost as upset as Chris. “The Four Horsemen _hate _the supernatural! We can’t expect them to _use_ any of it!”

“Perhaps,” Maria said. “But there’s got to be some supernatural explanation for their inordinately advanced high technologies. Nerve-stapling, advanced human cloning, practical quantum communications… there’s no way human effort alone could make such advances in such a short time.”

“And those are just what they’ve used so far.” Tsubasa added, examining the image of the facility more closely. “Who knows what else they are hiding?”

“In terms of the practical problem, sending just two adaptors does seem like a good move though.” Maria continued. “With some stepped up training, we can probably afford a six-to-five ratio.”

Of course, there was the obvious question, and Shirabe asked it. “But who will go?”

“I’ll go.” Chris stepped forward immediately. “I’ve been wanting to deal an honest blow to these bastards ever since they killed the old man. I’m not passing up an opportunity like this.”

Tsubasa bit her lip as she eyed the silver-haired adaptor for a moment before sighing. Then she also stepped forward. “I’ll go too. The Four Horsemen struck at the people I’ve sworn to protect, I can’t let that go unanswered.”

“Are you sure?” Commander Ogawa asked.

Maria opened her mouth to voice her own objection, but Tsubasa moved ahead quickly. “Not only do all the others have summer homework, but Tachibana and Kohinata are visiting their parents in just a few days.”

“Me and Shirabe are seventeen by now!” Kirika protested. “We can take care of ourselves!” Next to her, Shirabe simply nodded vigorously.

“It’s ‘Shirabe and I’.” Maria corrected almost reflexively, then cringed when she realized she had just contributed to Tsubasa’s point. No way would Kirika not get her summer homework done without some assistance.

Hibiki glanced worriedly between both Chris and Tsubasa. She wanted to go, to help make sure her friends would be okay. But she also didn’t want to leave Miku to face her parents alone. In the end, she gave her silent acquiescence with a nod. Next to her, Miku took her hand in comfort.

“Very well.” Commander Ogawa said at last. “We’ll be leaving in six hours,.”

—

“I’m staying behind.” Souji Ogawa stated. The two Ogawas were discussing their plans in Shinji Ogawa’s office after the briefing. Though preparations to leave were already underway, there were other important matters to discuss.

Shinji had wondered why his brother had asked to see him. “You don’t think you can add any insights?”

Souji shook his head. “Nothing the technical teams can’t determine,” He replied. “More importantly, I’m concerned about Jwa… and Suteinu.”

Shinji abruptly sat up a little straighter at that. The youngest of the three Ogawa brothers, Souteinu had largely opted out of the clan’s responsibilities in favor of a career as a host. This meant he had the least training of the brothers and was therefore the most vulnerable.

“You think the Jwa might move against him soon?” Shinji asked.

“I don’t know, but it’s a possibility.” Souji replied. “It’s not quite clear to me how involved the Jwa family as a whole is in the first place.”

Shinji raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Ji-Eun is wielding the _Yeonggwanggeum_.”

“That is so.” Souji conceded. “But why is she the only one we have seen so far? Where are the rest of them?”

Shinji leaned forward, placing his chin in his hands in thought. It was a good point. Still… “They are just one family. Perhaps they feel it unnecessary to spend the manpower with the Four Horsemen being so large.”

“But that’s the other thing.” Souji said. “The Jwa family take their vendetta against us far too personally to let outsiders in. It’s been a major hindrance to them in the past. Yet now Ji-Eun is here pursuing it as part of a completely different organization? That’s a rather sudden change.”

“You’re suggesting she’s gone rogue? Stole the _Yeonggwanggeum_? Possibly with the Four Horsemen’s help?”

“I’m saying it’s a possibility.” Souji clarified, leaning back in his chair. “But in some way, it’s beside the point. Whether the Jwa as a whole are allied with the Horsemen or Ji-Eun is pursuing their vendetta on her own, it’s clear the Horsemen will come after the clan as well. And when it comes to fulfilling that end of the bargain, Suiten’s the softest target.”

“And we can’t leave him alone against what is potentially an entire army.” Shinji agreed. “If that’s the case, could you accompany Kohinata and Tachibana to Chiba?”

Souji raised an eyebrow curiously. “You suspect a threat to their families too?”

“I do.” Shinji said. “The Four Horsemen have already demonstrated a willingness to attack the girls on an extremely personal level, the leader of the White Noise has a personal grudge against Kohinata, and their overall strategy seems to be to destroy their will to fight. Kohinata and Tachibana are the only two adaptors with families, so they’re tempting targets. We do have people discreetly checking on them, but even the best agents SONG has to offer aren’t on the level of the Ogawa clan.” Shinji motioned between himself and Souji. “I’d have gone myself by now, but…” He glanced over to the stack of papers on his desk.

“I understand. It won’t take me too far afield. Do you want them to know or…?”

Shinji shook his head. “I don’t want to unnecessarily worry them if I’m wrong. Tell them I asked you to help convince Kohinata’s parents to let her stay with SONG…” He paused, then hastily added, “Peacefully, that is.”

“I understand.” Souji chuckled, standing up to go. But then he remembered something he was going to say earlier.

“One last thing, little brother.” Souji glanced around the office Shinji had been using ever since the sub had been built. As it had been built for a subordinate of the commander, even if it was a high-ranking one, it was smaller and lacking in refinement compared to Genjuro’s office. “When are you finally going to move into the commander’s office?”

“I’m more used to this place,” Shinji replied matter-of-factly.

“Oh?” Souji asked, turning back to level his gaze at Shinji. “Is that why you also continue to not sit in the commander’s bridge chair?”

Silence fell at that. Shinji’s eyes lowered almost imperceptibly at his elder brother’s gaze. Several more seconds passed before he tried to justify himself again. “I’m still only acting commander. The only reason a new commander hasn’t been appointed yet is because the committee is still-”

“I know you miss your friend, little brother, and I know you didn’t want this,” Souji interrupted. “But you need to accept your new position.”

Shinji didn’t raise his eyes, but the polite smile he tended to wear vanished into a worried frown. “In some ways, you are right. Perhaps in trying to honor Genjuro’s memory, I’m not asserting myself enough. And you are definitely right about me not wanting this job. I just can’t bring myself to do it yet, _Nii-san_.” He looked back up. “But just because I’m not adopting the symbols of the position doesn’t mean I won’t do the job. It’s the least I can do for Genjuro and, even more importantly, for the girls. Don’t worry, I’ve accepted the responsibility.”

“I have faith in you, little brother,” Souji smiled warmly as he turned to the door. “If you really have accepted the responsibility of the position, then I’m sure you’ll make a fine commander.”

—

“I know why you’re _really _doing this, Tsubasa.” Maria said, leaning against the wall and levelling an even gaze at the bluenette’s back as she packed her nonessentials. Maria had already helped pack the essentials. All of the adaptors had long learned that when it came to Tsubasa, you _always _helped her pack her essentials.

“Oh?” Tsubasa didn’t glance over her shoulder. “Do you have a problem with it?”

“I do not, in fact.” Maria replied. “I actually agree with you. Yukine is volatile right now. The press conference, Val Verde plunging into Civil War again, her break-up with Ayano, this vendetta she’s developed against Voronin… they’re all affecting her badly. She needs her senpai to be there for her,” Maria said before biting her lip. “It’s just…”

Tsubasa paused, glancing back at Maria questioningly. The pinkette shook her head and pushed forward. “I don’t want you to become so obsessed with protecting Yukine that you neglect to protect _yourself_.”

In response, the swordswoman stood up, turned around, and crossed the room to take Maria’s hands. “I promise you, I won’t.”

Maria blushed. “Thank you.” Leaning forward to place her head against Tsubasa’s, she muttered. “I still wish I could go with you. To help.”

“I know.” Tsubasa said. “Me too. But I think you can also help me another way.”

Maria blinked at that, looking up at Tsubasa curiously.

“I’m still the head of the Kazanari Foundation, but while I’m on this mission, I won’t be able to communicate with my subordinates.” Tsubasa said. “I’ve consulted my legal team, and they said I can appoint a representative to act in my place. I want that person to be you, Maria.”

“Tsubasa?!” Maria said in shock.

Tsubasa continued. “My lawyer’s already sent me the relevant forms, and I just finished filling them out. I just need to email him back, and everything will be settled.”

Maria stared at her friend, gobsmacked. “This is your family’s heritage we’re talking about here! You expect me to be able to take care of this? Why?”

“Because I trust you,” Tsubasa replied simply, idly playing with their intertwined fingers. “But it’s your choice. I won’t impose this burden upon you. If you don’t want too, I’ll find somebody else.”

Maria gaped for a few seconds before finally letting off a little huff. “Okay, I’ll do it.” She let go of the bluenette’s hand to turn away in an embarrassed huff. “You always find some way to fluster me. Such an unfeminine sword.”

Tsubasa just laughed.

—

“Chris-chan!” Hibiki whined as she threw her hands around the silver-haired girl’s neck. “Take care of yourself! Don’t stay up all night! Try to eat three meals every day! And be sure you have plenty of spare under-OW!“

The chestnut haired girl rocked back, rubbing at the bruise on her head caused by the Ichaival adaptor’s fist. “Don’t talk to me like I’m your daughter!” Chris snapped. “I’m more than a year older than you, for cryin’ out loud!”

They were standing on the pier, less than an hour before the submarine would set sail to rendezvous with the US amphibious fleet tasked with bringing down the Horsemen’s base in Panau.

Miku giggled slightly at the usual antics between the two. “We’re serious, Chris,” She said as she smoothed out Hibiki’s ruffled hair. “Be sure to take care of yourself.”

“Relax.” Chris reassured her. “I know you guys are worried, but trust me, I won’t go overboard. Not to mention I’ll be able to, ya know…” She waved inland. “Get away from all that. Media blackout and all. Plus, it’s not like I’ll be alone. Senpai will be with me.”

She rounded on Kirika and Shirabe, pointing at her two former kouhai. “And that goes for you too! Don’t look so glum, I’ll be back.” The cocky grin slid off her face, replaced by a look of concern. “If anything, I should be telling _you _guys to be careful.”

“What? Why?” Shirabe asked.

“Well, the White Noise are still out there,” Chris nodded. “And they could strike at any time. Even if you four and Maria are all in the area. Not to mention…” She shifted on her feet slightly. “Ya know… Akatsuki…”

Kirika blinked in confusion. “Me?”

“Yeah, you. I may not know precisely what is wrong, since you won’t tell us…” Chris began. Kirika stiffened while Shirabe’s eyes narrowed, but Chris pushed on. “But don’t be so hard on yourself! You’ve got a ton of people who care about you very much and would be very sad if something happened. Plus, _you _haven’t screwed up recently…” She began to trail off, thinking back to the friendly fire incident at the chateau and her recent blow-ups with the media. “Not like I have.”

“Senpai, you haven’t-” Kirika began. But Chris cut her off.

“Maybe. But this isn’t about me. For your other half's sake, if nobody else’s, just…” The silver-haired adaptor scratched at the back of her head. “Ah, jeez! I’m no good at these motivational speeches!”

Of course, Hibiki _had_ to add in her two cents. “Aww, Chris, just admit you’re worried about Kirika!”

“I’m worried about the screwball.” Chris replied in possibly the dryest deadpan to ever grace a person’s voice.

In spite of her worries and doubts, Kirika started giggling. After a few seconds, the giggling became chuckling, and from there, quickly escalated into outright laughter. From next to her girlfriend, Shirabe just watched with a gentle smile. It was the first time since the Château she had seen Kirika laugh so hard.

“Kirika’s laughing again!” Everyone turned at Maria’s voice as she came down the walkway from the submarine, Tsubasa following behind her. “What caused this?”

“Oh, just Chris-chan being a reliable senpai.” Miku smiled.

Chris flushed, grabbing her suitcase. “Jeeze, you guys. I better get loaded.” She glanced over at Tsubasa as she began to pass the swordswoman. “You best say your farewells now, senpai.”

“I will.” Tsubasa replied. “Then I’ll be along to your cabin to help you unpack.”

Chris just waved the offer off as she started up the walkway. “No thanks. I’ve seen what your idea of ‘unpacking’ looks like. I know why you had to have Maria help you.”

She studiously ignored Tsubasa’s sputtered protests of embarrassment and Maria’s laughter as she made her way onto the submarine and down towards the cabins, searching for her name. Finally finding the one labelled “Yukine, Chris”, the Ichaival user stepped in to set her suitcase on the ground.

She flipped her phone out. This was probably her last chance to send Komichi a text, given the communications blackout they’d be under once they left port.

_hey komichi im gonna b on a mission 4 a week or so. wont be able to text until then. i hope to see you soon wen i get back!_

She placed the phone down on a table and shuffled through the luggage she had brought. A few minutes later, she heard the ding of a text arriving. As she grabbed the phone back up, Chris entertained the idea it was her juniors, already missing their senpai. It was thus a pleasant surprise when she saw it was actually a response from Komichi.

_I wish you the utmost luck, Yukine-sama._

Okay… it was still _way _too prim and proper. Still, it was the first reply Chris had received from Komichi since she started sending texts, and the first she had heard from Komichi since last Wednesday. Chris smiled, deciding to count that as the first chip in the wall between them.

\----

[15Z601 Secure Access. Please Enter Authentication: ******* ]  
[Authentication Verified]  
[BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA Clearance Verified]  
[Archival Request Granted]  
[15Z601 Audio Log #74867-K-4921. Date: 07/19/2045 1338 GMT]  
[NOTE: Log Classified BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA. Per Red Unit COMSEC Protocols, TFH-WU Callsigns Are Used For Speakers.]  
  
**The Lamb:** “Red Unit’s secured the line. Black Unit Facility 5-012 has been located.”  
**P-108: **“That was projected.”  
**The Lamb: **“I’m not blaming you, Professor. If anything, this is something of an opportunity to move forward with the Sixth Seal.”  
**P-108:** “Scenario 44?”  
**The Lamb: **“Precisely. Given the general status and make-up of SONG, it was inevitable that we would be biased in the direction of Pacific-East Asia scenarios. The current direction of events is perfect for the Pacific Maneuver.”  
**P-108: **“And the losses?”  
**The Lamb: **“If we lose the facility, current projections predict a painful manufacturing loss, particularly for post-Sixth Seal operations. We could reallocate… at a price. But it might not come to that. Status on Project 54R301?”  
**P-108: **“First models ready for combat testing.”  
**The Lamb: **“Already? The autoscorer parts accelerated things that much?”  
**P-108: **“Overcame remaining bottlenecks.”  
**The Lamb: **“I see. Well then, here’s a perfect opportunity for combat testing. They are going to need a name, though. I mean there’s the obvious, but that’s too generic.”  
**P-108: **“My proposal?”  
**The Lamb:** “I saw it. You don’t think that’s too derivative?”  
**P-108: **“No.”  
**The Lamb: **“Straightforward as always. Regardless, have them shipped out. Red Unit’s TACCOM protocols will know what to do with them. With only a little luck, we won’t even lose the facility. The Sierra-Golf’s have already been sidelined. We’re not using any heretical technology, so SONG has no legal basis to get involved.”  
**P-108: **“One issue. Pale Unit subsection devoted to Project 13B545.”  
**The Lamb: **“So? If you’re afraid we’ll lose the facility, just evacuate or destroy them. It’s a subsection, so there isn’t that much, and it’s not like those samples are irreplaceable. Hell, we’re ultimately going to dispose of them anyways because-”  
**P-108: **“Not my recommendation.”  
[Significant Pause Recorded]  
**The Lamb: **“Really?”  
**P-108: **“Interested in reaction.”  
**The Lamb: **“Oh… **_oh_**, I see. Yes, it would be interesting to see SONG’s reaction to _that _bit of news. Still, be sure to evacuate or redact the appropriate records. We can’t afford to give _everything _away if the facility _is _lost. Anything else?”  
**P-108: **“No.”  
  
[15Z601 Link Terminated. Log Ends]

\----

Chris and Tsubasa didn’t know whether they should be worried or not that they were starting to get used to the sight of blood, even if it was just simulated blood. The discovery that the Four Horsemen’s rank-and-file soldiers were not people, even if they were _biologically _human, was inordinately helpful. It meant that if the adaptors had to go against them again, they wouldn’t have to sandbag for fear of hurting them.

The fact they hid their faces behind gas masks and optical goggles also helped. The additional anonymity and lack of visible eyes reinforced the fact that these were not creatures that could be reasoned with or made to understand. Although earlier, Chris had been a bit curious about what they looked beneath those masks. Elfnein had humored her by showing a simulated representation. After that, Chris had a hard time deciding whether or not the masks made it easier to kill them. No actual person could **_ever _**have eyes that soulless. Not even Shem-Ha, when she had been at her most complete control over Miku, had looked so glaringly robotic.

Additionally, the Horsemen’s soldiers didn’t react to injuries like humans. The utter lack of emotion or pain they exhibited dulled any sympathy Chris or Tsubasa might have had for a human combatant. Although from a practical perspective, it also made it simultaneously easier and harder to fight them. Noise, Alca-Noise included, didn’t have a “wounded” state: either an attack destroyed them or it didn’t. Take off a Noise’s arm, most likely the rest would follow immediately after. The Horsemen’s soldiers? Well, a missing arm meant they’d expire _eventually _from the blood loss, and they’d be hindered in the interim, but all the evidence from the Château battle indicated they’d still fight as long as they were alive, regardless of whatever injuries they accumulated. And getting jumped by a trooper who had rigged all of his grenades to blow might not have hurt, but it could be a messy distraction.

But even with their features hidden away by their gear, even with their absence of emotion, even if they never made any sort of human noise… the fact they still bled like people had been more than enough to make Tsubasa and Chris hesitate during the first day of training. In some cases, that hesitation had been fatal. Not for either of the adaptors - there was still no sign that the Horsemen’s basic soldiers had weaponry actually capable of hurting them - but for objectives in the more complicated scenarios where they had been assigned to protect someone or something. Whether it was simulated hostages gunned down or buildings destroyed, the lesson being taught was clear: holding back against the Horsemen’s soldiers could be as problematic as holding back against the Noise, regardless of how human they might look at a glance.

By the second day, the two adaptors had gotten into it. The sight of blood spurting from a Horsemen soldier when a round from Ichaival struck home or when a head was lopped off by Ame no Habakiri no longer bothered them. But in the back of their mind, both Tsubasa and Chris wondered: what would the lowering of these inhibitions mean if they ever had to go up against truly human troops like they had in Val Verde again?

Seeing what unrestrained relics could do to the human body was also a brutal reminder to them of the power they wielded and the responsibility that came with it. At certain points, Tsubasa had looked around at the simulated carnage and almost wondered if the Four Horsemen might have something approaching a point in terms of their goals.

Almost, but not quite.

Chris let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding in as she lowered Billion Maiden, smoke drifting from the cooling barrels. Tsubasa didn’t even bother to flick the blood off of her sword anymore; it would disappear when the simulation ended anyways. Both glanced over the immense carpet of bodies or pieces of bodies of simulated Horsemen troops who had broken cover to charge them. That was another difference between the Noise and the Horsemen’s soldiers: unless they were being specifically directed, Noise tended to strike out individually. Horsemen troops, on the other hand, did have the capacity to coordinate on their own and execute more advanced tactics. If Horsemen troops decided to rush you, then a bunch would do so all at once while the rest laid down covering fire. It was, upon further reflection, more like a cross between fighting Noise and human opponents. If the Horsemen managed to get some more powerful weaponry into their soldiers’ hands, something that could actually hurt a transformed adaptor, then they could wind up becoming quite dangerous.

And both adaptors had a nasty suspicion the Horsemen were working on doing just that.

The scenario timer buzzed, and the simulation ended, sweeping the blood and body parts away. Dispelling her gear, Chris rolled her shoulder and head to work out the knots of tension the Symphogear system had been keeping at bay throughout the morning’s simulations before glancing at her watch. “Still have the stomach for lunch?”

“I think so,” Tsubasa said as she dispelled her own gear. She was lying, but she also knew that skipping meals wasn’t healthy. So long as she didn’t think about the simulations of severed limbs and gutted organs she had seen, she could probably down her food. It undoubtedly helped that the simulators couldn’t do smell.

The two opened the door to the simulator room only to find Tomasoto standing on the other side, a binder tucked under her arm and her hand hovering over the hallway access button. The three stared at each other in momentary surprise before Tomasoto spoke. “Ah, Yukine, Kazanari… the commander wanted me to update you on the latest developments.”

“Could we do it over lunch?” Tsubasa asked. “We were headed that way.”

“Of course.” The blue-haired bridge officer replied, stepping back to let the adaptors out.

“So what’s the word?” Chris asked as the three began to walk down to the canteen.

“Well, the biggest piece of news is that the Horsemen pretty clearly know the Americans are coming,” Tomasoto reported. “Last night, they seized a swathe of territory around the facility. They’ve essentially taken over the entire region between the western bank of the Sawah River and the nearby mountains.”

“And the Panau military?” Tsubasa inquired.

“Local units were taken by surprise and completely destroyed,” Tomosato replied. “All the Panau National Guard has been able to do is set up a perimeter and wait for the Americans and us to show up.”

“So the Chinese still aren’t doing anything?” Chris asked as they stepped into the canteen. The lunch hour rush was only just starting, so there weren't many people crowding in yet.

Tomosato shook her head. “They’ve airlifted additional reinforcements down to their main base by the capitol, but they’ve otherwise have stuck to their quarters.”

“Probably because they know the US is already committed to coming,” Tsubasa muttered as she grabbed her tray. “There’s no point in risking their own men when the Americans will just do the dirty work for them.”

“Now if only they’d let **_us _**take the lead,” Chris grumbled, looking over the selection of food. The spaghetti looked tempting, but she recalled the half-annoyed, half-incredulous looks she’d gotten from the cleaning staff the last time she ate it. What was with that? She was getting better! “This change anyone’s minds on that front?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Tomosato confessed while pouring the red sauce on her noodles. She had no problem with selecting the spaghetti. “The US has committed an entire Marine Expeditionary Force, and their committee representative expressed confidence it would be enough. Airstrikes are scheduledto start later today.”

“Damnit,” Chris muttered. “I still can’t believe they're just making us sit back and watch.”

“We’ll get our chance, Yukine.” Tsubasa said as she selected her drink. “I’m sure of it.”

\----

“BDA’s for the first strikes are in, sir.”

At his aide’s voice, Marine Corps Lieutenant General Thomas Shaw glanced up only a moment from the mountain of paperwork necessary to manage an entire MEF less than two days out from being committed to battle. “Give me the summary.”

“Well, according to the carrier jocks,” His aide began. “We’re going to have to call off the whole pre-battle campaign if we want any operational aircraft to provide CAS.”

“What?” Shaw’s head came up at that. “The losses were that bad?”

The aide nodded. “And results that poor.”

The General quickly took the proffered report and scanned it. Just from a glance, he could tell the words “minimal effect on target’ were showing up way too often. And that loss percentage was enough to make him wince.

For all the bravado Washington was putting on in ‘assisting our historic allies’, ‘retaliating against the Four Horsemen’, and ‘showing up the Chinese’, the General had a bad feeling about this campaign. The enemy’s defensive deployments had been clear enough: a main line of resistance established along the length of the Sawah River, a reserve defense line at the edge of the foothills, and enough blocking detachments on the mountain roads to render an approach from that direction untenable. But there were far too many questions that intelligence was finding themselves unable to answer.

And then according to this, they had badly mauled the first wave of air strikes, despite going in with heavy ECM and copious amounts of stand-off weaponry. That did not augur good things for when Shaw’s Marines landed. The lack of intelligence was already a serious red flag for any decent operational commander, but the fact that the Four Horsemen could fight off American air power was sounding some loud warning bells in his head.

Still, his orders from Washington left no room for interpretation. He was to get in there, smash whatever forces the Horsemen had in his way, and secure the facility so they could get a better idea of the Horsemen’s full capabilities and intentions.

Theoretically, Shaw did have SONG and two of their supergirls as a back up if the Horsemen pulled something really nasty out of their hat. But Shaw was well aware that “really nasty” in this case translated into “heretical technology.” But the Horsemen avowedly rejected any sort of heretical technology, and word on the intelligence grapevine was they were playing around with serious high technology instead. Stuff that was out of a blockbuster sci-fi movie or something. If the Horsemen yanked out something really nasty based on some of that high tech, would SONG still be able to get involved? The Security Council’s orders didn’t make that one-hundred percent clear, but as things were, it seemed they were pointed in the direction of “no.”

“Alright, tell the flyboys to call off further strikes until it’s time for us to hit the beaches,” He finally decided. “And get me the latest estimates on the enemy's force strength.” He was going to have to adjust the plan in order to account for drastically reduced air support and increased enemy air defense capability.

\----

Dawn was the traditional starting time for military operations. In the days before reliable night vision equipment, this was largely a practical matter, as it ensured troops could have a full day’s worth of sunlight to operate in. With the advent of night-vision technology, large-scale night time operations became vastly more feasible. Yet human sleep-wake cycles and the inertia of tradition caused such planning to persist.

It was supposed to be academic. The combination from the economic costs of global trade disruption and the fear of mutually-assured destruction created by nuclear weaponry had long dissuaded great armies of roughly equal capability from clashing. Modern conflicts tended to either be highly asymmetrical or unconventional. It had been a century since two roughly equally well-equipped, numerous, and trained armies had seen battle.

Until today, that is.

They came by air and by sea. Helicopters buzzed overhead like a swarm of insects while amphibious transports and assault hovercrafts crawled ashore out of the surf. The Marines and their equipment swarmed over the landing beaches, swiftly moving inland from their landing zones towards the Sawah River, where the enemy’s first defensive lines awaited them. In the sky above, the contrails from attack jets streaked over head, and the naval armada of amphibious assault ships and their destroyer escorts were anchored offshore.

On land, battle tanks leap-frogged forward and self-propelled guns and rockets sidled into firing positions, their guns and rocket tubes elevating skyward. Attack choppers swept overhead, gun pods swivelling to scan the terrain. Officers and non-coms shouted orders, driving their troops toward the enemy, both to get into the fight and to clear the way for the follow-up elements to come ashore and back them up. On the invisible electromagnetic spectrum, the airwaves constantly crackled with higher and subordinate headquarters constantly updating their status.

The White Unit was ready for them. Their sensors had picked up the oncoming fleet hours beforehand. Around the facility that they were tasked to defend, otherwise innocuous pieces of land or hillside abruptly detached and slid away, revealing the vertical-launch systems and gun emplacements hidden underneath. Staples manned slit trenches, towed artillery pieces, and dug-out bunkers. Crew-served infantry weapons were mounted and fixed. Armored personnel carrier engines rumbled to life, prepared to rush reserves where they were needed to stiffen the defense or mount counter-attacks. On hastily established air-strips, jet engines spooled up as the unmanned fighters scrambled into the air.

In the villages dotting the west bank of the Sawah river, the locals sensed the oncoming battle. The strange soldiers that had driven out the Panau National Guard had shot anyone who attempted to resist, but otherwise left them alone. Save for their ominous presence, they had made no attempt at interfering in daily life over the past few days. But now that they were taking up fighting positions in their very houses, the inhabitants hunkered down in basements and cellars, praying that the oncoming storm would spare them.

To the north, a mountain reconnaissance detachment of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army settled down on a slope to observe. They had been helicoptered into a position well away from either any potential USMC line of advance or White Unit defensive position. Their orders were simply to monitor the oncoming fight and report. Both sides knew they were there: the Americans had been informed of their presence, and the Horsemen had flown one of their attack VTOLs right over the Chinese position in a clear signal that they saw them. But otherwise, both sides had left them alone. They expected that would continue to be the case.

And so, at the sound of braying devil dogs, the first rider mounted their white horse and drew their bow while the dragons watched idly from a nearby mountain top. But only the white rider was aware of the one atop the red horse, their sword drawn to turn the dogs and dragons against each other. For their part, the singers could only stew in frustration.

—

_“Execute Sixth Seal, Scenario Forty-four, phase six. White Unit Battlegroups, be advised: Sword Force is now underway. Keep friendly fire to a minimum.”_

\---

It wasn’t the first time Chris had been forced to watch a battle from the sidelines. It _was_ the first time she had done so when she was fully capable of acting otherwise. And like a lot of new things she had experienced this month, she found she didn’t much like it.

The real-time map of the battle SONG had projected up on the main screen, piped in from the Marine headquarters, was a sea of icons Chris didn’t understand. She found herself repeatedly turning to Tsubasa, who had actually bothered to undertake a crash study of NATO military iconology at some point in her life as part of her “always combat ready” life philosophy, for an explanation of what precisely it all meant.

A few things were obvious. Icons denoting Horsemen units were colored black, American units were blue, PNG units were brown, and the lone Chinese unit on the map’s northern edge was red. Beyond that, Chris was rather lost. She couldn’t tell the symbol for an infantry battalion from that of a tank company or artillery battery.

None of this had mattered in Val Verde, when she was staring not at a computer map but at a host of human weapons and Alca-Noise down the sights of Ichaival. But now that she _was _staring at a computer map, Chris was frustrated by her inability to understand what it all meant. As the battle dragged on, though, she started deducing an overall picture from Tsubasa’s answers to her questions.

In the north, at the mouth of the Sawah River, the Americans had managed to drive the Horsemen out of the village of Kota Kuala Delima and were steadily making their way down south to leverage the Horsemen’s forces out of their defensive line along the river. The center portion of the battle was stalemated, the large Sawah Lake presenting a formidable water barrier. Finally, in the south, the Horsemen had bogged the Marines into a pitched slugging match amid the tangle of archipelagoes, villages, and river deltas.

Chris couldn’t help but notice other details as things further progressed. Namely, the way Horsemen units appeared and disappeared in the map as the Marines, or in some cases SONG, made or lost contact with them. A troubling reminder that they didn’t have a proper picture of everything the Horsemen had.

Compared to a Symphogear battle, Chris found it all to be a much larger yet slower paced affair. Only some of their largest fights, like when Finé had covered a huge swathe of Tokyo with Noise the first time they had activated their X-Drives, could compare in terms of the land area covered. Then again, this was a fight between humans… or, well, near-enough give the nature of the Horsemen’s forces. All of these map symbols were simply a clean abstraction of what was undoubtedly a much bloodier and more gruesome affair.

Dammit, if only they’d let her and Tsubasa go out there and fight, they could wipe the floor with those bastards in an instant! Instead, stupid politicians and their egos and petty grievances were getting people killed. Chris’ closed fist gripped tighter in frustration.

Fujitaka and Tomasoto had spent the battle monitoring the Marines’ electronic communications while Elfnein monitored the sensors for any sign of heretical technology or something that would give them an excuse to intervene. They had long written off any hope of picking up any of the Horsemen’s own communications.

Finally, Fujitaka spoke up. “Something’s wrong here…”

Commander Ogawa, who had silently watched the map, turned to him. “What is it?”

“Well, the communications all indicate that the Horsemen are using all the usual sorts of weaponry,” Fujitaka began. “**_Except_** for heavy armor. I haven’t heard even a single Marine unit report encountering a Horsemen battle tank so far.”

Everyone quickly scanned the map, trying to see if any of the black rectangles denoting Horsemen units would have the oval shape that indicated it as a tank unit.

“Maybe they simply don’t have any?” Tomosato suggested.

But it was Tsubasa who shook her head. “No, that makes no sense. Why would the Horsemen be using every element of a modern army except one of the most crucial ones in a large-scale land battle?”

“They’re hiding their out-of-contact units from us,” Chris muttered, scanning the map and putting together everything she had picked up in the past few hours since the battle started. “I mean, look at the map. If it isn’t in contact, a fixed installation, or an actively firing artillery unit, it doesn’t show up.”

“That means, if they have any armor, they’re deliberately holding it back,” Tsubasa concluded. “Probably for a major counter-offensive.”

“These reports do indicate that they’re playing defensively at the moment,” Tomasoto agreed. “Only local counter-attacks.”

“The question is…” Ogawa rubbed at his chin thoughtfully, “What are they waiting for?”

As if in response, an answer seemed to present itself. A new icon, colored red and marked as a mechanized-infantry unit, popped up on the northeastern edge of the map, along the main coastal highway which wound its way around the northeastern edge of the mountains. The icon quickly moved south… right into the rear of the marine units who had crossed the northern part of the Sawah.

“What the-?!” Fujitaka gasped, his hands flying over the console. “Commander, the Marines report they are under fire from Chinese fighting vehicles coming down the highway into their rear!”

“What! Why would-” Tomasoto froze as she switched to one of the PLA channels she had found earlier, her eyes widening. “Commander, the Chinese reconnaissance detachment reports they are taking fire from Marine helicopters!”

Everyone looked up at the map. For a moment, the Chinese unit in the mountains remained by itself. Then it was abruptly joined by a new icon, colored white, which indicated a helimobile unit immediately in contact.

“Oh hell!” Tomosato swore breathlessly. “PLA comms traffic just shot way up.” She cycled through several more channels before shaking her head. “It looks like their main force is mobilizing for an immediate assault!”

The map pulled back, bringing into view the capital of Panau City and, most importantly, the main Chinese base to the north. A host of red icons indicating the Chinese main force popped into existence and started moving south along the coastal highway, streaming out of the capitol.

“What’s going on?!” Chris shouted. “Have the Chinese gone crazy?!”

“This is bad,” Tsubasa said after a moment of studying the map. “If the Chinese do roll south with their main force, the Marines are completely out of position to respond to such an attack.”

—

Lieutenant General Shaw prided himself on having an even temper and a keen eye for smoothing ruffled feathers. These characteristics had allowed him to ascend the ranks as quickly as he had. And he supposed these characteristics allowed him to realize something about this situation smelled fishy. So while all the staffers under his command panicked at the sight of Chinese light armor attacking the rear of his front line, he remained calm and ordered them to open communications with the Chinese.

Immediately, a slightly portly man with salt and pepper hair, a wrinkled face, and a decorated uniform came into view. Shaw recognized him as General Shin Fai, a Chinese military leader known internationally for his ruthlessness and his pragmatism. “You shameless American,” the Chinese man began. “You think you can send a horde of your devil dogs at my doorstep, fire on my men…!”

“General Shin Fai,” The American General interrupted. “This is Lieutenant General Thomas Shaw of the US Marine Corps. I called to let you know that it was not my marines firing upon your men.”

The red-faced look of fury on General Fai’s face would have been hilarious were it not coming from a man that could easily order the Chinese to pincer Shaw’s forces. “You-! Of all the audacious-! It’s your men attacking mine!” The Chinese General threw up his arms in frustration. “Is this how the mighty American military acts before it conducts a preemptive war?”

“I do not doubt that you are under attack, General Fai, but it’s not my men doing the attacking. My men are reporting a company of _your _IFVs have rolled into our northern advance’s rear area. The damage to my logistics disrupted my best push against the Horsemen before we could take them out. I assume you didn’t order any such attack, did you?”

The Chinese General’s eyes narrowed. “You think this is a false flag of some sort? A trick by some third party?”

“General Fai, we’re engaged with the most likely third party here. All I’m asking is that you hold your troops back, at least until we’re sure of what’s happening.”

General Fai nodded. “Order all of your men to stop fighting the Chinese forces that haven’t attacked them, and I’ll hold my men back,” He conceded. “You’d better not be lying, General Shaw, or my men will tear through yours like locusts.” He then cut off his communications, causing Shaw to breathe a sigh of relief. He knew that such an incident would undoubtedly have political repercussions later on, but for now, he didn’t have to worry about the Chinese riding on his ass just yet.

Unfortunately for General Shaw, it was at that moment when everything **_really _**went to hell...

—

_“This is Red Unit. Sword Force completed. Proceeding to next Phase. All White Unit Battlegroups, be advised: Automen deploying.”_

—

A bevy of black icons, with the signature ovals indicating heavy armor units, popped up at a contested ford just south of Lake Sawah at the river’s narrowest point. They immediately rolled forward, and the Marine units they were facing seemed to reel back at their sudden appearance. In a matter of minutes, several Marine icons simply ceased to exist, and the Horsemen’s tanks had cleared the river crossing, an ever widening gap starting to form in the Marine’s line. More curiously was another series of icons mixed in, still colored in the Horsemen’s black but constantly flickering between denoting an infantry unit and a series of question marks.

A few moments later a similar, somewhat smaller in number, group of icons appeared in the path of the northern marine advance. The already stopped American units abruptly reeled back, several swiftly flickering out of existence.

“Marine units in the center reporting major Horsemen counter-attack underway,” Fujitaka reported. “Commander… you’re going to want to hear this.” He swiftly patched in the radio feeds to the bridge’s audio systems.

_“This is Yankee-7, I’ve got a major Horsemen counter-attack tearing us apart. Enemy force consists of tanks and… are those footmobiles? Wait, what the hell? WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE?! OH FU-”_

_“Bravo-3 here, requesting immediate artillery fire on my position! Danger close, I say again, danger close! My positions about to be overrun! They’re walking through our gunfire like it’s noth-”_

_“Screw procedure! I need CAS **now**! They’re moving so fast we can’t pin the-”_

“Dispatch a drone, I want to see what’s going on!” Ogawa ordered Fujitaka. He swiftly turned to Tomasoto. “Get an emergency message to the Security Council. Request immediate authorization to intervene!”

“I’ve got a line in the Marine’s sensor feeds.” Elfnein spoke up for the first time. “They are detecting electromagnetic signatures off of those tank guns!”

“Tank-sized railguns?” Tomosato asked.

The blonde nodded her head.

“Drone footage is coming up.” Fujitaka reported, putting up the UAVs camera stream to the main screen.

It was a total rout. The shattered husks of the Marine’s armored vehicles and corpses dotted the landscape. The sleek appearance of the Horsemen’s tanks made even the latest American or Chinese tank look primitive. They moved quickly and smoothly, as if they were gliding off the ground. The bodies they crushed and the wreckage they shoved aside did nothing to slow them down. As they watched, one of the tank turrets turned and fired at some target off-camera. There was no eruption of fire and smoke, only the briefest flash of electricity around the muzzle of the weapon as the round whipped out so fast that it left a swiftly evaporating condensation trail as it shot through the air.

But even the appearance and armament of the tanks wasn’t as shocking as what were with them.

At first, the SONG personnel weren’t sure whether they were looking at machines or men wearing a unique type of tactical gear. Their heads could easily have been some kind of helmet-and-sensor-mask set-up, with a single, large, glowing red sensor in the dead center of their heads and a second, much smaller one located just off to the bottom right. The rest were some kind of ceramic or metal, completely lacking in any sort of facial features. The lower half was completely smooth while the upper half were indented and colored in much the same way one would expect of a combat helmet.

Likewise, their midsections constituted a smooth silver-colored metal that could have just as easily been some form of tactical body armor as it would have been an actual robotic body. But the greatest confusion was caused by the limbs, which were hidden under several layers of camo-patterned fabric. It was only as shrapnel from nearby explosions or gunfire from the Marines’ infantry tore away the kevlar fabric and exposed the metal parts extending seamlessly from the body that everyone realized their arms and legs were totally mechanical.

“Are those… _androids_?!” Chris gaped as the camera followed the machines’ clearly inhuman speed easily kept pace with the tanks they were supporting.

As they watched, one of the androids turned towards a Marine light armored vehicle that was firing away with its autocannon, those rounds which managed to connect sparking off the android’s armor in small explosions. The machine raised its right arm, and a violet shot out from immediately below its hand to strike the LAV. Under the beam’s light, the vehicle’s armor flash-melted away, and a moment later, the LAV exploded as the beam found its fuel tank.

“Violet lasers?!” Fujitaka shouted in surprise.

“That’s more than just visible light,” Elfnein said, her eyes fixed on the sensor data in front of her. “The sensor feeds are detecting immense radiation spikes whenever those fire. That’s amplified gamma radiation. Those are gamma-ray lasers… grasers!”

Tsubasa gritted her teeth as she watched the feed scan over to a select few androids tearing into a platoon of marines. The violet graser beams strobed out from their right arms, trivially coring through body armor to instantly blow apart bodies in a spray of steam, flesh, and gore. Easily half the platoon was wiped out by the grasers in the few seconds it took for the androids to close the distance at their inhuman speed, completely ignoring the bullets, grenades, and rockets lashing out at them. Then they were in amongst the infantry, making the slaughter even more intense. Rather than using their grasers at close range, the androids opted tear the screaming Marines limb-from-limb with their mechanical hands.

At first glance, the androids looked like nothing she had ever seen before. But as Tsubasa watched, she felt a sense of deja-vu. There was something more than a little familiar about the way the androids moved. Their locomotion and body language combined the coordinated grace of a dancer and the mechanical stiffness of a puppet on strings. The only difference was an undercurrent of cold, joyless precision much like industrial machinery.

“Senpai…” Chris spoke up next to her, also recognizing it. “Their movements…”

“I see it Yukine,” Tsubasa nodded. “They almost move like autoscorers.”

Abruptly, one of the androids on the ground turned in the direction of the drone whose camera feed they were watching from and lifted its right arm. The screen flashed with violet light momentarily before going to static.

“Are you sure you’re detecting nothing alchemical at all?” Ogawa asked, trying to find some excuse to deploy. “No relics or anything?”

Elfnein shook her head, her hands racing across the keyboard in a desperate gesture. “Nothing! The sensor data we’re being fed by the Marines doesn’t show any signs of heretical technology or alchemy! The biggest energy signatures we’re detecting are consistent with small, controlled fusion reactions inside the androids themselves!”

Ogawa looked over at Tomosato. “Anything at all from the Security Council?”

“They are still deliberating!” She replied, looking over the latest message. “But the Chinese are being intransigent given-” She paused as an indicator popped up on her screen. “Commander, we have a call from General Shaw coming through!”

“Bring him up,” Commander Ogawa ordered.

The Marine General’s face popped up, his face creased with pressure and worry. “Commander Ogawa, have you received authorization to deploy your adaptors?”

Ogawa shook his head. “The Security Council is still deliberating.”

“We can’t wait for them,” The general replied. “We’re looking at my entire force being rendered combat ineffective to this counterattack within a few hours if we don’t deploy them soon.”

“I understand and personally agree with your position, general,” Ogawa replied. “But until I receive new authorization, SONG has explicitly been forbidden to intervene unless we detect the use of heretical techno-”

“I don’t care if it’s heretical tech, high tech, low tech, or goddamn **_Martian tech_**!” The general shouted, slamming his fist on the desk. “My armor and infantry are getting torn to shreds, my arty’s not enough, all my air support is tied up, my naval support is busy fighting off missile strikes, and I’ve got the Chinese command threatening to roll multiple mechanized brigades into my rear because **_apparently _**_they _think _we _attacked them! I’ve already committed all my available reserves, but at this rate, it isn’t going to be enough! Most of my forward units are already destroyed, and the rest are on the verge of collapse!”

He took a deep breath, his anger melting into determination, although everyone on the bridge also detected a hint of pleading behind it. “If your Symphogears are as powerful as everyone says they are, then they are the only hope we have of turning this around. I’ll take full responsibility. If the Security Council asks, tell them I ordered you. Hell, tell them I _threatened _you, if it’s enough. But please, Commander, I’m begging you… those are my Marines they’re killing out there!”

Commander Ogawa took a deep breath. He could feel Tsubasa’s and Chris’s eyes on his back, and he didn’t need to turn around to know they were also pleading with him to let them go, to let them help. “General, can any of your staff hear this conversation?”

General Shaw frowned. “Commander, I don’t see-“

“**_Please_**, General,” Ogawa pleaded quickly.

The General grumbled quietly, then pressed a few buttons on an unseen keyboard in front of him. “Alright, nobody else at my command post can hear this conversation. Now will you help?!”

Instead of answering directly, Ogawa glanced over at Elfnein. “Elfnein, we have detected alchemy off of those androids. This will later be found to be a rare glitch causing our systems to confuse the androids’ microfusion reactions with alchemical power signatures.”

The small blonde blinked in confusion a few times before realization dawned, and she nodded quickly, turning back to the control panel to quickly begin modifying the previous sensor data.

Turning back to the main screen, Ogawa said, “In response to this detection of the use of heretical technology by the Four Horsemen’s forces, I am deploying Yukine and Tsubasa.”

General Shaw gave a laugh of relief as he realized exactly what Ogawa was getting at. “Thank you commander, and godspeed to your girls!”

Ogawa didn’t even need to turn around to see that Chris and Tsubasa had already left the room and were making a full sprint for the sub’s missile tubes. A two-person deployment rocket had been kept loaded in the VLS systems for just this eventuality. As they ran, their communicators crackled, and Tomasoto’s voice came over.

“We’ll be trying to drop you right on the enemy’s main spearhead, but they might take a shot at the missile, so be ready to possibly fall short. You are cleared for unrestricted force against any of the Horsemen’s soldiers, but be mindful of civilians and friendly forces. If you encounter any hostile Chinese forces, withdraw and do not engage. We’re in communication with the Marine headquarters, so we’ll be able to direct you where you’re needed once you defeat the initial spearhead. Understood?”

“Roger!” Both Chris and Tsubas replied as they stepped into the missile’s compartments.

Chris turned to her partner. “Ready for this, senpai?”

Tsubasa had to admit, she was a bit eager to finally hit back at the Horsemen herself. “Just make sure to leave enough for me, Yukine.”

And as the rocket engine below their feet rumbled to life, the two sang.

_“Imyuteus Ame no Habakiri tron.”_

_“Killter Ichaival tron.”_

\----

**Next Chapter: **The Black Horse

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Notes: I don’t have much to say about this chapter, since it’s largely a set-up for the next one. The only thing that really comes to mind is that I'm probably going to have to repeatedly listen to Bayonet Charge, because I’m trying out that whole “synch the fight scene with the music” idea, although I’ve never been sure how well that actually works out when it comes to text. Different people read at different speeds, you know? Regardless, ass-kickings coming soon. Look forward to it.


	12. The Black Horse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: I don’t quite think I succeeded in aligning the song lyrics with the story. Perhaps it got better in the second part of that scene since someone took it upon themselves to write out the rest of it while I was asleep. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. In any case, if you’re going to listen to Bayonet Charge when reading this chapter’s opening scene, I recommend waiting until you see the sentence starting with “Tsubasa and Chris knew”.
> 
> Oh, and if you want a variant with colored lyrics, look up the story on sufficient velocity.

Distortions  
Chapter 12  
The Black Horse

\----

The Four Horsemen saw them coming, of course. It wasn’t like SONG had a monopoly on Aufwachen-detecting technology these days. Red Unit took note the moment the sub-routine devoted to monitoring that particular sensor picked up the Symphogears activating. Had it been capable of such emotions, Red Unit might have been confused or panicked. Instead, it simply flagged the news as priority, recalculated its defensive plan, and issued new orders to compensate. All done efficiently and without question in the time it would have taken a human to just recognize the information.

An instant later, another subroutine devoted to controlling the air defenses of Black Unit Facility 5-012 detected another cruise missile inbound from the ocean. Initially, the subroutine determined it to be a land-attack weapon, likely sub-launched and outfitted with a cluster-munition warhead based on its trajectory, and flagged it for medium-priority interception. Then it passed the information up to its senior routine, which immediately cross-referenced the moving location of the Aufwachen Waveforms the other subroutine had detected with the missile’s own location. It then sent the order back to upgrade the interception priority from “medium” to “immediate”. Again, this was done faster than it took a human to blink.

Barely another instant later, the next VLS tube devoted to the air defense of Facility 5-012 finished its loading cycle. In accordance with the current targeting priorities, the sensor net locked the loaded SAM onto the aforementioned cruise missile and fired. Simultaneously, a battery of White Unit self-propelled guns received orders to open fire with salvos of Anti-LiNKER cluster shells at an updating set of coordinates.

The SAM met the cruise missile over a Panau National Guard communication post that had been commandeered by the Marines just a few kilometers from the advancing Four Horsemen spearhead. The rear service personnel hastily preparing for the defense of the facility barely paid any attention to the distant explosion as the SAM’s warhead blew its target to pieces. After all, it wasn’t as though the sound and thunder of explosions was anything new to the men on the ground by this point. The pair of young women in skintight magitech armor abruptly falling from the sky, on the other hand, was enough to draw considerable attention their way as they landed, cratering the ground underfoot. But before the Marines could react to their presence, Tsubasa and Chris had already taken off.

Tsubasa and Chris knew they had fallen short and didn’t waste any time springing into action. They hit the ground running, the music in their hearts swelling as they charged towards the sound of gunfire, explosions, and energy weapons. As the two closed the distance, a distant rumble grew in volume until it matched the loudness of a hundred freight trains. Anti-LiNKER munitions burst above them, filling the air with the translucent red gas.

They might have cared, had they not already dropped their armor combinations in anticipation of exactly that. With their superhuman pace, it took them barely another few minutes of running to cross the few kilometers to the spearhead.

_“There is no time for a greeting as it is time to fight with this sword.  
_ _As we walk into the depths of hell, we come across Enma's castle.”_

The first of the androids barely had time to turn at the sound of Tsubasa’s song before Ame no Habakiri flashed and its right arm fell off in a shower of sparks and twisted metal. Its remaining hand lashed out at the swordswomen, but Tsubasa had already ducked in anticipation of such a reaction and swept her sword up to slice diagonally through the android’s mid-section. Impressively, Tsubasa could feel a degree of resistance as Ame no Habakiri worked its way through the android’s innards.

But no sooner had her sword finished cleaving the two halves of the android apart did a series of graser beams strike her from the side. Tsubasa hissed in surprise and pain. Those, it seemed, were powerful enough to actually burn. But she pushed through and swiftly rolled forward. Turning, she tossed her blade at the small group of androids that had fired on her. Immediately the sword enlarged into the length and width of a truck and Tsubasa leapt after it, kicking out and firing her armor’s rockets as she landed on it’s top. Several more beams glanced off the tip of the sword before **_Heaven’s Wrath_** collided with the androids, shattering mechanical parts everywhere and continuing onward to impale a Horsemen’s tank whose turret had been slinging around towards Tsubasa, which exploded.

_“The first one to shoot will be the next to shoot.  
_ _The third or fourth will be troublesome, for our bonds.”_

Chris sang as her crossbows spat out energy bolts. The androids she targeted staggered under the force of the impacts, some of their armor denting without being penetrated by the barrage of energy arrows. Seeing this, the Ichaival gunner decided to up the ante. As she rolled away from the retaliatory graser fire, her crossbows folded away for the triple-barrelled, quad gatling guns of **_Billion Maiden_**. They did the job quite satisfactorily, and the androids’ bodies jerked about as the magical high-caliber bullets ripped them to shreds. In seconds, they were little more than piles of scrap metal.

A company of tanks rolled towards the red armored girl, their turrets swivelling to train right on her, and Chris ducked away just before they fired, a series of railgun rounds flashing through the spot she had just been standing in. She mentally swore at that; those rounds had moved fast enough that, even with her superhuman reflexes, she would have not had a chance to dodge. They probably wouldn’t have killed her, but they would have hurt. She turned Billion Maiden upon them, but despite the guns being rated to penetrate composite tank armor, they didn’t even dent whatever sort of super-armor the Horsemen had decided to build their tanks with.

A cocky grin spread across Chris’s face as she again ducked aside just in time to avoid the next volley of rail gun rounds. Well, if Billion Maiden didn’t work, she’d just have to up the ante again. The compartments on her legging popped open and a **_MegaDeth Party _**of missiles screamed towards the tanks. The first of the rockets to be fired promptly fell victim to the tanks’ active protection systems, but the rest hammered home and the heavy armor slewed to a halt as they were rent apart in a series of explosions.

_“No licking right now!” _Tsubasa sang as she flipped forward into a spinning handstand to dodge another barrage of graser fire, the long blades on her ankles unfolding to slice into another group of androids in a **_Reverse Rakhasa_**.

_“Geez, I'm sorry!” _Chris gave her line simultaneously, opting to run-and-gun with Billion Maiden before turning and dispatching another approaching armored company with MegaDeth Party.

A barrage of rocket artillery roared in, sweeping the area in a dervish of explosions and smoke. Both Tsubasa and Chris were knocked away by the barrage of blasts, but they rolled with the shockwaves, coming to their feet to continue to charge forward, guns blazing and swords flashing.

Another wave of infantry and androids rolled forward in the wake of the barrage. Chris quickly turned her guns towards them. _“With our growing power, let’s run swiftly in at full throttle!” _Chris half-sang, half-yelled her lyrics as she responded to the assault with a barrage of bullets that reduced many of the offending attackers into human-shaped swiss cheese.

_“There is nothing to fear about the path you take,”_ Tsubasa sang breathlessly as she leapt out of her headstand onto her feet, sword in each hand. With a thought, **_One Thousand Tears_** rained down upon the remaining infantry and androids. Though the androids weren’t all destroyed by the attack, their bodies were pierced by the falling blades, making them easy targets for her swords. The infantry wasn’t so lucky.

Chris looked to her senpai and smiled. Moments like these, fighting alongside her friends to protect others, were what truly made her happy to be a Symphogear user. _“You always used to never look back, but now you do.”_

_“So I’ll support you,” _Tsubasa responded in song, giving her friend a knowing look.

_“But I’ll push back,” _Chris replied in turn, readying her guns for the next assault. One more wave of infantrymen, androids, and tanks were rushing in to take the place of the spearhead the girls had just destroyed. It was one final gasp of the counter-offensive. Behind them, the surviving Marines regrouped and began to form up their own gunline. The troops and vehicles spread out behind Tsubasa and Chris, getting ready for what they knew in their bones was coming. 

_“We gotta ‘believe_…_’” _Tsubasa sang as she crouched down, as if she were a runner ready to sprint off. The blades on the side of her legs extended as she combined the two blades in her hands at their hilts, turning them into a single two-sided blade.

_“In never giving up!” _The girls sang in unison. As if on cue, the thrusters at Tsubasa feet ignited as she rushed forward at a great speed, spinning her now-fiery dual blades as she did so. All the while, Chris and the Marines gave her covering fire, picking off any of the infantry that may have impeded her.

Tsubasa sliced through everything in her path with her **_Wind Ring’s Fiery Blades _**like a hot knife through butter. Given her speed, only the rounds of the railgun tanks or the grasers of the androids had a chance of even touching her, and that required one to actually aim the shots, something the wielder of Ame no Habakiri allowed no time for. And with Chris and the Marines providing covering fire, the enemy might as well have been sitting ducks waiting for her blades.

As she charged through with her Fiery Blades, she sang in unison with Chris. _“The time has come for anyone to choose what they’ll do in life.”_

_“I don’t want to translate equality,”_ Chris shouted over the gunfire as she and the Marines mowed down as much as they could without hitting Tsubasa. The two adaptors knew each others’ moves so well, Chris could predict where Tsubasa would be with her eyes closed, and the Marines were competent enough to follow Chris’ lead.

_“I have to make sure you aren’t lonely though,” _the girls harmonized as Tsubasa approached another tank. Her blades slashed through it as easily as it had everything else. It seemed as though a flaming sword had much less difficulty cutting through whatever metal the Horsemen made their machines out of. Good to know.

Closing in on the remaining tanks, Tsubasa’s flaming blades rushed towards them at breakneck speeds, dodging and weaving to prevent them from drawing a bead on her. Some of the tanks instead aimed at Chris and the Marines behind her, but a barrage of Ichaival’s missiles combined with Billion Maiden properly dissuaded them.

_“Do not forget about the dream you keep within yourself!” _Tsubasa continued the song. Chris, meanwhile, sang the counterpoint, to which Tsubasa would respond. All the while, the girls tore apart the Horsemen’s army.

_“Even in the snow,” _

_“Even in the wind,” _

_“Even in the flowers,”_

_“Even people,” _

_“Have a courageous heart because they won’t lose their own true colors.” _

Tsubasa sliced through the last tank, causing it to explode.

_“We won’t be doing this alone.” _The girls finished the last line of the song.

—

“Sweet _Jesus_,” Private First Class Harley Gibson breathed in awe. One moment, he was making peace with his maker as one of those androids had him in its red-eyed sight. The very next, an ethereal blue beauty had bisected the ‘droid straight down the middle while her red counterpart summoned a host of missiles and bullets to destroy the same mechanical monstrosities. Now those same otherworldly valkyries were cutting a swathe of devastation through the force of tanks and androids that had just been tearing apart his company’s flanks.

“Certainly a story to tell your kids, if you have any,” Corpsman Teagan Everett agreed as he glanced up from a fellow marines shrapnel wound. It was only for a moment, since the man he was treating had taken a nasty hit to a vital artery. As beautiful as the swordswoman was in her element, he needed to concentrate on saving the injured man’s life, ensuring he was stable at least long enough for a medevac.

“We didn’t stand a chance against those things,” Gibson continued, in total awe of the sheer presence that was radiating off the singing women. “And those girls just…”

“Just like samurai,” the wounded man slurred, although it didn’t seem like he knew what he was talking about through the painkillers. “Samurai for the world!”

Gibson glanced down at the wounded man then back up at the distant swordswoman as she carved through the gun of one of those Horsemen tanks, ignoring the blasts from anti-boarding systems that would have reduced a man like himself to a mist of blood and flesh strips. Those words may not have been spoken lucidly, but he could see they fit.

—

Chris and Tsubasa had torn through the front and sides of the Horsemen’s spearhead as swiftly and decisively as those forces had previously shredded the Marines. Now they were charging their way down the shaft, which consisted mostly of the regular masked soldiers and lighter armored personnel carriers. As expected, the Horsemen’s soldiers resisted with tenacity. Bullets, handheld rockets, grenades, Anti-LiNKER canisters, autocannon shells, and tube-fired anti-tank missiles lashed out at the two again and again.

It was just like the training sims. Bullets slid off them like water off a rock, and the missiles that found them were more annoyances than anything else. Blood and burning oil from shattered bodies and detonating vehicles soaked the ground. The only wounds they bore had been from dealing with the earlier forces of tanks and androids: some light burns from the grasers and a few bruises from railgun rounds that had found their way home. They missed some of the regular soldiers, but those scattered remnants would be easy meat for the Marines following in the adaptors’ wake.

The Marines had spent all day struggling to overcome the defensive line across the river, and yet Tsubasa and Chris only noticed they had smashed through it when, as they paused to catch their breath, they found that the incoming gunfire had slackened considerably. Chris shifted Ichaival away to her pistols, figuring that with the most severe threats dealt with she could afford to sacrifice some firepower for additional mobility. Tsubasa glanced over her shoulder to check on the Marines’ advance and was satisfied to see their armored transports fording across the river, the few positions they had missed now easily suppressed by the Americans’ fire.

The girls suddenly heard their communicators crackle with Ogawa’s voice. “Kazanari, Yukine. Come in.”

“Tsubasa here.” The swordswoman answered. “We’ve broken the main defense line. What’s the overall situation?”

“The enemy’s northern forces have broken off their assault and look to be falling back to the reserve defense line.” Ogawa reported. “The Marines there are regrouping.”

“Heh, guess the Horsemen know they’d just be more meat for the grinder,” Chris chuckled. It felt **_so _**satisfying to finally just let loose against the force that had been tormenting her and her friends for almost a month now.

“What about the Chinese?” Tsubasa asked.

“General Shaw managed to talk them down for the moment.” Fujitaka replied. “They’ve set-up a line along the coastal road just north of the combat area and are holding there.”

“So where are we needed next?” Chris inquired, tilting her head back. High above their heads, the contrails of jets and missiles crisscrossed the sky. She frowned a little. That was one battle she could do nothing about, not without her X-Drive. Although, come to think of it, Miku could fly… the silver-haired girl filed that thought away for the next time she had the opportunity to chat with the Shenshoujing user about potential Gear uses.

“The Marines are forming up for an assault on the reserve line, but those are anchored by the installation’s fixed defenses, which could prove to be difficult to overcome.” Ogawa answered after a moment. “Some other Marine advance units are reporting they’ve found what they believe is one of the hidden entrances to the underground sections of the facility.”

“Send me the location.” Tsubasa said. “I’ll head into the underground. Yukine can breach the defense line on the surface and help the Marines mop-up.” She glanced at her partner.

Chris just nodded back. She was a bit curious as to what was down there, but the combat logic couldn’t be argued with. Ame no Habakiri would be much more suitable in the confines of underground corridors then Ichaival.

\---

“I don’t know what to tell you Cap’.” The company’s demolitions man said. “TNT, C4, RDX, HMX… nothin’ is doing more than scratching this thing. Hell, I’m half sure the way the Thermite reacted actually made some of it _tougher_. Whatever these assholes made this thing out of should’ve been used to build skyscrapers instead of bunker doors.”

“Alright, thank you specialist.” The voice of the Captain responded. “That will be all.”

His head tilted back and eyes closed, Gibson idly listened to the company commanders desperately try to figure out how they were going to breach the bunker door from where he was resting. The entrance was easily large enough to drive a tank through and cleverly built into a dimple in the hillside. They probably would’ve missed it completely if a Navy strike fighter’s bomb load hadn’t stripped away all of the camo netting.

Then they discovered that none of their breaching tools seemed to work. On the one hand, that was disappointing. On the other, it was also an immense relief; the Horsemen's advanced weaponry had proven a nasty surprise. If it weren’t for SONG and their Symphogears, Gibson’s whole company would probably all be guarding the streets of heaven right now.

“Captain, I’m here to support you.” A female, officious voice with a noticeable Japanese accent cut in.

Gibson heard the Marines around him stir in surprise at the newcomer. Opening his eyes, he looked up and felt his mouth go dry. It was the blue Symphogear swordswoman. The one many grunts were already referring to as ‘The Samurai’, Tsubasa Kazanari.

The mystical aura flowing from her had been impressive enough from far away, but up close and personal, it felt _overwhelming_. Even the officers couldn’t help but stare at her as if she was a warrior angel descended from Heaven to assist the faithful in smiting their foes. The Captain in particular was doing quite a remarkable impression of a fish.

Tsubasa ignored the stares, just walking forward towards the door that had been confounding them for the past half-hour. The Marines in her path respectfully stepped aside, many of them unconsciously stiffening to attention. 

She then turned to them and asked “This is the way in?”

Those words seemed to snap the Captain out of his fugue and the man visibly took a moment to adjust himself to the Symphogear adaptor’s presence. “Yes, ma’am. But we’re not having any luck trying to breach it.“

Tsubasa “hmm’d” aloud at that, raising her sword and prodding it at the mesh of metal and composites that made up the door. The blade rested against the surface as she applied more and more pressure. Then finally, it visibly pressed into the structure surface. The sight of this made her smile in grim satisfaction.

“I can cut through it,” She concluded, stepping back away from the door. “Assemble your men, I’ll take point.”

The Captain paused for a moment before deciding that it probably made sense that the bulletproof girl was the first one through the ominous, concrete-looking door. Turning away from the adaptor, he started barking orders to his platoon commanders to round up the men on the perimeter.

Tsubasa stood and waited, her sword in the ground in front of her while her hands rested on its hilt. The Marines still standing around didn’t know whether to approach her or maintain a distance. After a few moments, Gibson figured that he should at least thank her for saving him from the androids. So he started forward towards her, his posture straightening out as if he were approaching an officer.

He thought he could hear her humming softly, but she stopped as she realized he was approaching and looked at him questioningly.

“I-ah…” Gibson began before realizing he didn’t quite know how to address her. Marine basics didn’t exactly cover ‘etiquette when talking to a superhuman,’ and he had received no briefing on where the Symphogear adaptors fit in the chain-of-command. Hell, weren’t they technically civilians?

Fortunately, she seemed to recognize his dilemma. “Kazanari will suffice.”

“Kazanari then, ma’am,” He continued. “I just wanted to say thank you. You saved my life earlier. Though I guess you wouldn’t really remember…” He trailed off at that.

The glance she sent him told him that she didn’t, but she welcomed the thanks. What she said next though, was quite different. “What’s your name?”

“Gibson, ma’am,” He replied. “Harley Gibson. Private, First Class.”

“You have people you care about waiting for you back home?”

“Of course, ma’am. My parents, my girlfriend, a couple of friends from civilian life, my brother.“ Gibson shifted a bit uncomfortably, deciding to try and go for a joke. “Can’t tell you more about them though. Don’t want to jinx things.”

He thought that got a brief smile out of her, but if it did it was gone as fast as it appeared. Tsubasa simply looked away towards the horizon, where the smoke from the previous battles still rose, and Gibson detected a hint of sadness in her eyes.

“Treasure them dearly, Gibson,” She answered at last. “You never know when they might be taken from you.”

“First Platoon!” One of the Lieutenants called. “Stack up to breach!”

“It’s time,” The blue-haired adaptor said in a tone that seemed to say ‘good luck’. Gibson nodded back respectfully, before turning away to rejoin his fellow Marines, pressing themselves against the hillside on either side of the door. For her part, Tsubasa stepped forward again towards the door, raising Ame no Habakiri.

“Ready on your mark, ma’am,” The Captain called.

The anticipation among the Marines was so thick you could cut it with a knife. They didn’t know what to expect from the swordswoman. They certainly didn’t expect her sword to abruptly double in length and size as she darted forward. In a blink, she jammed the immense blade straight into the bunker door, causing the screeching sound of metal on metal to fill the air. Sparks flew as she slashed through it in four swift strokes.

There was a crash as the composite, concrete-esque material fell away. Almost immediately, a positive blizzard of automatic weapons fire lashed out from the freshly cut archway, but the Marines didn’t actually see any of it connect with Tsubasa as she had already darted forward through the entrance. There was a crash of metal and a hiss of severed electronics before the adaptor shouted “Clear!” 

The Marines, who were still processing what just happened, filtered in. The strewn wreckage of several sentry miniguns that now laid all over the floor in neatly cut pieces. They had been perfectly positioned to make utter mincemeat of anyone coming through the doors. Beyond the immediate entrance lay a darkened tunnel stretching ominously into the black.

“Do you need any NVGs, ma’am?” The Captain called out to the adaptor.

The swordswoman shook her head. “My armor has some low-light functionality.”

As he reached up to flip down his NVG’s, Gibson wondered about Tsubasa Kazanari. He wondered about the song he had heard her humming. He wondered about the sadness that had been in her eyes when she spoke about treasuring family and friends. But the one thing Gibson did know was that she was a goddamn lifesaver. He resolved from then on that, if he ever heard anyone badmouth a Symphogear adaptor, he’d punch them in their goddamn face. He owed her that much.

\---

Lieutenant Erik Ruiz pressed his back against the side of the hill like his life depended on it. Which was fitting, since it did. The remnants of his platoon had pressed just a _little _too far ahead from the rest of his company, and now, they were stuck behind enemy lines and pinned down by heavy machine gun fire coming from the nests by the artillery battery in front of him. Earlier, he was told that the artillery battery was his objective. Except, in a typical case of Marine intelligence FUBAR, nobody had told him the goddamn battery was positioned in _hardened bunkers_.

The radios were worse than useless at the moment with all the jamming, so he couldn’t raise any other units or call for support. Not that they’d do any good. He’d been here long enough to see one of the Navy’s cruise missiles, undoubtedly with a bunker buster warhead, fly straight into the gun bunkers and do little more than strip away some of the camouflage. Whatever the fuck the Horsemen built their emplacements out of, it was tough shit.

He was glaring down at his map at the moment. They couldn’t go forward, too much machine gun fire. Couldn’t go back, either; the platoon’s rear guard reported Horsemen troops had moved in behind them and pretty clearly knew they were here. Although, if they knew that, why hadn’t they called down any fire support or tried to flush them out with grenades? What the hell were they waiting for?

The answer to that question was provided by Sargeant Bates. “**_SHIT_**, ‘droids!”

Ruiz felt his heart leap up in his throat at the shout. He twisted his head around and swiftly spotted a trio of the mechanical monsters marching out of the tree line on his platoon’s right flank. The Marines’ weapons snapped up and spat automatic fire, but it was more a gesture of defiance than anything. Ruiz had seen the damn machines shrug off tank fire. They might as well have aimed BB guns at the incoming androids. The androids’ right arms snapped up simultaneously, and Ruiz could tell one of them had already identified him as the CO and had a bead on him. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the end. 

Ruiz heard was that crack-hiss of their energy weapons and the sizzle of their target being flash-melted, but he felt no pain.Realizing he wasn’t dead, he opened his eyes to behold an ethereal red valkyrie interposing herself between the thirty men under his command and the infernal machines. Machines which currently stood still with smoking holes in the center of their bodies, their cycloptic eyes no longer glowing. A network of what seemed to be red jewels hovered on either side of the otherworldly woman, creating a reflective barrier.

The barrier abruptly vanished and the crystals floated down into the large, butterfly wing-shaped compartments on the girl’s hips, which then folded together so there were now only two of them. Turning around, the silver-haired girl jogged over to the platoon, a cocky grin plastered over her face. “Need some heavy fire support?”

The Marines just gaped right back at her. Compared to any of them, she was physically quite short. Hell, some of them had daughters taller than her. Yet her raw, otherworldly presence made them all feel like she dwarfed them, akin to a goddess among mere mortals. And even without the prior light show, they could practically _taste _how much more firepower she had packed into her small frame. Was this the power of the Symphogear they heard so much about?

The grin fell off of her face at the lack of response, replaced by a serious frown. “What’s the situation, Marines?!” She barked.

The authoritative voice was enough to kick the daze out of Ruiz’s mind, his training and discipline reasserting itself. “We’re pinned down by machine gun nests from those bunker emplacements, ma’am,” he reported, indicating the bunkers as best he could without exposing himself. “We’ve got heavy caliber guns in there that are shelling the river crossings, but even cruise missiles aren’t scratching that armor.”

“That all?” The cocky grin was back on her face. “Let’s see how they like _my _missiles then.”

And before the Lieutenant could do anything to stop her, she lept around the hillside his platoon had been covering behind since they got up here. In an instant, the machine guns opened up on her and the Marines could do little more than gape again as the rounds simply pinged off of her armor… hell, off of her _skin_. The compartments on her hips shifted again, transforming into a large braced backpack with a pair of _massive _missiles, larger than any of the men standing around, much less the girl herself, extending across either of adaptor’s shoulders.

Completely unphased by this development, the machine gun fire continued. Some of it even shifted onto the missiles, clearly trying to detonate them. With their engines roaring, the Symphogear adaptor fired both missiles at once. The missiles blasted across the hundred or so meters of killzone, straight into the slits through which the artillery guns fired.

The shockwave from the blast blew the silver strands of her hair about as she stood confidently, a wide grin on her face. As the roar of the detonations faded, she turned back to the once-again stupefied platoon of Marines. She opened her mouth to say something, then abruptly scrunched up her face before spitting something into the grass.

Lieutenant Ruiz stared down at the flattened 14.5mm heavy machine gun round in total amazement. Taking a bullet head-on, chewing it up, and spitting it out was the kind of bullshit he always thought only existed in comic books. Yet in defiance of what Ruiz thought was common sense, this bright red girl had done so right in front of him. The other Marines were equally gobsmacked.

“Come on,” The otherworldly woman said, stepping past them. “I’ll help you guys hook back up with the rest of your company.”

Ruiz nodded, unaware of how dumb the expression on his face looked. Maybe after this battle, everything would start making sense. In any case, he guessed he was grateful someone like her was on _his _side.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” one of the younger Marines called out to the adaptor as she passed. “Would you mind telling us what the hell was that?”

“MegaDeth Fuga,” She replied casually, not breaking stride. “It’s one of my missile attacks.” 

“Huh…” The Marine muttered as the platoon fell in behind her. “And what’s that thing where you fire a whole buncha smaller missiles called?”

“MegaDeth Party.”

“So, wait,” Ruiz asked. “Do all your missile attack have ‘MegaDeth’ in their names?”

“Most of them, yeah,” She glanced over her shoulder. “Why do you ask?”

Chris didn’t realize it at the time, but she had just earned herself a Marine Corps nickname.

—

Before long, Tsubasa realized that when SONG had said the bulk of the facility was underground, they weren’t kidding. The underground section of the facility was a positive labyrinth of barracks, motor pools, warehouses, and, above all, production facilities. The sheer number of cavernous rooms filled with machinery and conveyor belts packed to the brim with partially assembled parts, weapons, vehicles, and other equipment made it pretty clear what the primary purpose of the facility was.

There was, of course, resistance. It came as no surprise to her that the Horsemen had decided to flood the hallways with Anti-LiNKER. The Marines with her had reached for their gas masks when they first encountered it until she informed them it was harmless to them. Beyond that, the Horsemen’s infantry seemed to contest every corner and every intersection, never giving up regardless of how many the Ame no Habakiri user and the Marines cut down. Tsubasa had already lost count of the number of times she had turned a corner and immediately been sprayed by machine gun fire or had a rocket streak down at her.

Inevitably, there had been casualties among the Marines. The web of hallways offered too many approaches, and there were too many Horsemen soldiers to ensure the safety of everyone. The worst invariably occurred when one of those androids showed up in a place she wasn’t. Tsubasa could not afford to take even a moment to grieve for the fallen troops, instead leaving the mourning to their comrades. She would have time later to reflect upon those she failed. Intermittent contact with the surface told her that more Marine units were entering the facility to secure sectors they had already cleared and that Chris was doing fine work smashing the last defensive line.

She and the Marines eventually worked out a solid enough method for clearing rooms. When it came to the breach, either the Marines would kick it down or Tsubasa slice out a hole, depending on whether the door was armored or not. Then, the Marines would toss grenades in. Tsubasa would always be first through the door, prioritizing any androids or heavy weapons (in that order), with the rest of the Marines only sweeping through a second after her.

Through it all, Tsubasa kept an eye out for any sign of heretical technology or alchemy. There hadn’t been a single sign of any of it. To be sure, a technical understanding of the technology she did see eluded her. She wasn’t sure how most of this machinery worked beyond “inputs here, outputs there.”

But one could tell just by looking at what each contraption did and how it fit into the larger whole. Raw materials fed into this machine to be refined into alloys that were transported over to that machine and assembled into a part. Then, the conveyor belts brought the parts to another machine which assembled them into a larger part. These parts were then taken by service robots over to a series of machines which steadily assembled them into armored vehicles. Or aircraft. Or vests. Or whatever was being assembled. All very straightforward and factorylike. No matter how she looked, it all fit together neatly in a way the sheer arcanity of Frontier or the Château De Tiffuages did not. It was all simply too… comprehensible to be based on relics or alchemy.

None of the machinery was functional right now, however. The acrid stench of burnt electronics lingered heavily in the air, a sign that a lot of the electronics and key components had self-destructed. There were plenty of computer terminals connected to machines or hanging on the walls of the halls, but they all displayed the same message.

[SYSTEM ERROR. FACILITYWIDE PROTOCOL-9 IN EFFECT. ALL NONESSENTIAL PERSONNEL: EVACUATE]

The first time she had seen that, Tsubasa had paused to wonder what sort of people willingly worked for the Four Horsemen. The only ones she had encountered to date had been the White Noise, yet it seemed implausible that the great mass of people required to construct and operate such a large facility _all _had the sorts of reasons the members of the White Noise squad did. And it seemed equally implausible that the rest of the organization would **_all _**be nerve-stapled clones and robots.

The question of who worked for the Horsemen inevitably raised the next obvious one: who was the Four Horsemen’s leader? Who was their Adam, their Carol, their Fudou? Did they really want all the relics destroyed, or was that just some kind of fig-leaf for a world domination scheme? Tsubasa didn’t spend too much time dwelling on that. If the answers were to be found here, they would be found by SONG and the other UN technical teams once her, Chris, and the Marines made the facility safe enough for them to come in.

The Marine sergeant counted down. “Three, two, one… GO!”

At the shout, Tsubasa darted forward, carving another hole in another armored door. In through the gap went the Marine’s grenades. She waited for the crump of detonations before charging in. Gunfire slammed into her to no effect. A glance told her what the room was for. It was the first time she saw what had to be one of the Horsemen’s cloning banks.

What had to be the main cloning machine took up most of one side of the room to Tsubasa’s right, a mess of unidentifiable chemical tanks and workstations attached to it. Extending from the machines output exits were a dozen conveyor belts, each extending most of the rest of the way across the other side of the room. Atop the idle belts lay freshly created clones, having exited the machine feet first and buck naked. These fresh clones were not doing anything though. They simply lay there staring blankly at the ceiling with eyes like dead fish, the rise and fall of their chests the only indication they were alive.

Above the end of each conveyor belt, a robotic arm extended from the ceiling. The tip of the arm contained some sort of electronic-glass visor. Once past the arms, the belts simply and abruptly ended. It was clear that a clone was expected to then simply walk the short distance to a series of ordinary doors labelled “Equipment & Assignment.”

The Horsemen’s soldiers in this room were sheltered behind the conveyor belts or the naked clones laying on them. One soldier was even using a fresh clone’s chest as a prop for his light machine gun’s bipods.

Ignoring the bullets, Tsubasa vaulted over the first set of conveyor belts and into the midst of the first group of soldiers, Ame no Habakiri flashing. They fell like wheat before the thresher, yet still they never broke or hesitated to try and strike back. The swordswoman would have called them brave if she hadn’t been aware of their true nature. With the first belt cleared, she charged over to the next to repeat the process. Behind her, the Marines stormed through, taking advantage of the gunfire being drawn onto Tsubasa to make for the cover of the first conveyor belt. Between her swordplay and the Marines’ fire support, clearing the rest of the room took only a matter of minutes.

Tsubasa flicked the blood off her sword and then turned to stare thoughtfully at the robot-arm visors extending from the ceiling. Now that she had a moment to look, she could see the small amount of smoke rising from the edges where the microchips must have been. The visors’ appearance poked at her memory, but no matter how hard she looked and thought she couldn’t place where she had seen those before.

“Ma’am!” A Marine’s voice snapped her from her reverie. “You might want to see this.”

The swordswoman looked over and saw that in the opposite corner of the room from where they had entered was a somewhat smaller armored door. The sign above it said in bold, glowing red letters:

_5-012 Pale Unit Sub-Section, Laboratory-3B, AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY_

This was the first room they had seen which was labelled as a ‘Laboratory.’ Tsubasa was fairly certain neither she nor the Marines constituted ‘Authorized Personnel,’ but it wasn’t like she was here to respect the Horsemen’s regulations. She nodded to the Marines, who moved to stack up on either side of the door as she readied Ame no Habakiri.

Her sword flashed and yet another door now had a permanent man-sized entrance. This time, however, no bullets or rockets lashed out at the new entranceway. Tsubasa still rushed through, her blade raised, only to find the next room completely devoid of any living creatures.

Well, that wasn’t quite true. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the giant glass tube taking up the center of her vision and, more importantly, the very familiar figure floating within. The swordswoman froze. She recognized _who _it was floating in that tank. Someone she hadn’t seen in person for a long, long time.

“**_Kanade?!_**”

\----

_“-authorities have imposed a media blackout over the expected area of operations. No statement has been issued by SONG or the American military over whether any of the Symphogears will be deployed. However, the Symphogears Tsubasa Kazanari and Chris Yukine have not been seen since-”_

“Could you turn that off, please?” Hibiki asked Souji Ogawa from the back seat. The severe-looking man nodded, switching to find a channel playing some music.

“Worried about Chris and Tsubasa?” Miku asked from right next to her.

“A little,” Hibiki admitted. “The Americans are supposed to be landing in Panau in an hour, and a part of me still says we should be there with them.” She gave a nervous grin, rubbing at her right arm. “Honestly, I’d rather be there on the front lines than see your parents again.”

Miku tilted her head in slight confusion. “Why? You’ve met them before, right?”

“Yeah, but that was before we started dating!” Hibiki squirmed.

Miku raised an eyebrow. “So are you worried about Chris and Tsubasa, or are you worried about yourself?” 

“Yes! I mean, both! I mean… erm.” Hibiki closed her mouth before she said something else she regretted. 

Intellectually, the Gungnir wielder knew Miku’s parents had already given their blessing over the phone. But emotionally, the prospect of actually seeing them face-to-face _when they_ _knew _felt more daunting than duking it out with Shem-Ha.

Particularly Miku’s father. Matsura Kohinata was a perfectly reasonable man most of the time, but he had quite a protective streak when it came to his family. When the bullying had been at its zenith, he tried to forbid Miku from seeing Hibiki out of fear of the backlash extending to the Kohinata family. Hibiki counted herself fortunate that Miku had defied her father’s prohibition every way she could. In many ways, Miku’s own protectiveness and stubbornness was a mirror of her father’s.

With a slight sigh, Miku reached out and took Hibiki’s hand. “It’ll be fine, Hibiki. After all, I’m not w-worried that we’ll be seeing your family afterwards.

Hibiki opened her mouth to reply, then paused as her brows furrowed together and something about her girlfriend’s reply clicked. “Miku, did you just stutter?”

Miku flushed. Oh god, why did Hibiki have to be so perceptive when it came to things like this? “Well,” She finally admitted. “You never told them prior to now, did you?”

“What? What do you mean? I’m sure…” Hibiki trailed off as she ran through her memory. When did she tell her parents that Miku and her were dating? She did, didn’t she? She could remember when she told her mom and grandma about the Symphogear but… 

Oh. Oh no. “AH! I never DID tell them about us!” The chestnut haired girl panicked. “Oh, god! They would have learned from the press conference! No, wait, maybe they didn’t see-no I got a text from grandma saying they would be watching it for support, so they _definitely _did. Oh, Miku, what are we gonna do?!”

“D-do you think they would disapprove?” Miku asked hurriedly, her own nervousness now fully showing through.

Hibiki stopped, thought about it for a moment, and then snorted. “Ah, no way. You know they adore you.”

Miku couldn’t help it. She giggled at Hibiki’s complete and utter mood whiplash, her own nervousness suddenly washing away. Although, now that they were talking about it, maybe Hibiki’s parents already had figured they were together. So many other people did, after all.

Still, despite their nervousness, they were actually glad to get away. The new training regimen had left them both more than a bit uncomfortable. Yes, intellectually they knew that the Horsemen’s soldiers were no more “people” then the Noise were. They had managed to get beyond any sense of hesitation at seeing the simulated soldier’s blood. But they couldn’t find it in themselves to become comfortable at the sight. They were made somewhat embarrassed that Kirika and Shirabe seemed to have adjusted to it entirely within just a day.

Maria though... the first time they had run the scenario, Maria had locked right up after she had drawn the first bit of blood. The sight of the bloodied and broken bodies seemed to have dug up some old regrets she thought she had gotten past. Though she claimed she’d get over it soon, the episode had caused everyone to worry about the pinkette.

“I hope Maria’s alright,” Hibiki voiced her concern out loud.

“The incident yesterday?” Director Ogawa inquired, his eyes still on the road.

“Yeah. She seemed so scared and in pain. As if the simulation brought up bad memories.” Hibiki looked out the window with a worried look on her face.

“I’m sure she appreciates your concern, Tachibana, but we all have to face our demons by ourselves,” The Ninja spoke cooly as he navigated his vehicle through an intersection in the Chiba prefect. “There’s nothing you can do for her right now, and if you spend too much energy worrying about her, you’ll only tear yourself apart. As an adult, Cadenzavna Eve is more than capable of handling whatever problems she has. Believe in her.”

Hibiki sighed. She knew that Director Ogawa made a certain amount of sense, but there was something wrong with the logic regardless. Having your friend going through some struggle without anyone to help was never a good thing in her book. Why couldn’t one believe _and _help?

As if to voice her objection, Miku spoke up. “We can’t just sit here and do nothing when our friend is suffering.” 

The man closed his eyes and then opened them. Then he looked up at the girls’ expressions in the rearview mirror. It was then that Tachibana saw the coolness in them. They were the eyes of a man who had been through much hardship. “I think it’s more important to get things in order with your house than to pry into others’ business. That’s why we’re going to your home. We need to make sure everything with your parents is okay before we do anything else.” He turned his eyes back on the road. “Don’t make the mistake of focusing your efforts on what may resolve itself.”

As they were contemplating that piece of advice, Souji made one last turn and slowed down the car before clearing his throat. “We’re here.”

—

“Dear,” Okamura Kohinata called from the closet. “Do you remember where we put our special camera? I know I kept it in our closet somewhere…” 

From the living room where he had just finished fluffing the couch’s pillows and sweeping the floors, Matsura Kohinata gave a long-suffering sigh. “Okamura, I haven’t seen _your _special camera anywhere. And quite frankly, I think it’d look better if we took a picture with our phones.”

“No! Don’t you understand! Our Miku’s coming over with her special someone! We have to be ready and everything!” His wife shouted.

As much as Matsura loved his wife, there were times when the woman seemed determined to drive him up a wall with her quirks. It seemed as though all of the women in his family had their own obsessive hobbies: from Miku’s extreme competitiveness in sports to his wife’s love of twentieth-century photography to his late mother-in-law’s tragic hobby of sky-diving. It made them all charming in their own right, especially his wife, but it also made moments like this feel like he was only sane person in the room.

The doorbell rang. Matsura glanced at the clock. It certainly fit the time. Heck, if anything they might be early. He hoped it wasn’t another reporter looking for an interview, but he had scared many of them off with the threat of a harassment suit. He had little to fear from them.

“Ah!” Okamura called down. “Could you get that?! And call me if it’s Miku and Tachibana!”

“Sure, sure!” He called back, getting up. As he crossed towards the door, he thought about the news that had turned his life upside down just two weeks ago. The news that Miku was now an honest-to-god superhero still left him gobsmacked whenever he really thought about it. He was only just starting to come to terms with the idea that the Kohinata family name would now be in the history books. Yet he was still upset at the way Miku had gone behind his back, and he continued to have serious reservations about her participation in SONG.

But in regards to her relationship with Hibiki Tachibana? Well, compared to those other shocking revelations, ‘my daughter is in a homosexual relationship with her childhood friend’ came off as rather second-rate. But he had nevertheless taken the time to consider his own feelings on that as well. And Matsura quickly realized that after all he had seen and heard about what had happened between the two, he didn’t mind the idea one bit. Hibiki Tachibana had saved his daughter's life several times over. His approval to date his little girl, hell to take her hand in marriage, couldn’t even scratch the surface of what he owed her.

He opened the door. Miku and Hibiki stood before him, hand-in-hand. The latter was shifting on her feet in a manner that screamed nervousness and hurriedly glanced away with a blush when she saw him. Miku, on the other hand, had a bright smile on her face that warmed his heart. Behind them was an unfamiliar man in a suit with slick purple hair and severe eyes.

Matsura hadn’t seen his daughter outside of photographs in two years, so one thing very quickly leapt out at him. “Miku,” He said, unable to stop a bit of wonder creeping into his voice. “You’ve grown.”

“Well, that’s what we teenagers tend to do, father.” Miku came up to him and gave him a big hug. “How are you, papa?”

“Apparently rather forgetful, if that sort of detail slipped my mind.” He returned the hug and glanced over at Hibiki, who couldn’t help but flinch when his eyes met hers. “Tachibana, it’s been awhile.”

“Y-yes!” Hibiki quickly said, almost throwing herself into a bow. “T-thank you for having me, Kohinata-san!”

Matsura chuckled. “Come now, Tachibana, don’t be so formal. You can call me Matsura.”

Hibiki blinked a few times at that, trying to recall if Miku’s father had ever let her call him that before. She couldn’t remember him ever doing so. Her nervousness starting to melt away, she smiled gratefully. “Alright, Matsura. Then call me Hibiki!”

“Of course, Hibiki.” He nodded. But then he looked at the man, who was directing a rather inscrutable and strange stare at the hallway clock, and his small smile fell away. “And you are?”

The man looked back down. “Souji Ogawa,” He introduced himself. “I’m with SONG. I hope to help address any questions or concerns you might have about your daughter’s involvement.”

“Ah, very well. Come on in.” Matsura acknowledged, turning to lead them in. As they entered the living room, he called up. “Okamura, dear! It’s Miku and Hibiki!”

The sound of something crashing upstairs caused them all to jump. All except for Souji, who was curiously eyeing a bookshelf at the living room’s entrance.

“I’m okay!” Okamura shouted quickly. A few moments later, a woman with black, shoulder-length hair hurried down the stairs. “Miku! It’s so good to see you!” She called, rapidly coming over to hug her daughter. As she did so she glanced over at Hibiki. “And Tachibana… no, I really should call you Hibiki, shouldn't I? How’s Harumi?”

“My mom’s doing fine, Kohinata.” Hibiki replied, uncertain whether she should entirely return the familiar address. “We’ll be going to see them after our visit here.”

“Now, now. After everything you’ve done for us, I insist you call me Okamura,” Okamura said quickly. Releasing Miku from the hug, she stepped back a bit and looked between the two. “Oh, my. How you two have grown.”

“Papa said the same thing.” Miku giggled.

“Mm, I suppose you both will be turning eighteen in the fall.” The older women shook her head wistfully. “I still remember the day you two first met…” She trailed off as she first noticed Souji. “And you are?”

“Souji Ogawa here is with SONG.” Matsura pre-empted the ninja’s own introduction. “He says he’ll contribute to the conversation we’ll be having about Miku’s future there.”

Both Hibiki and Miku shuffled at that, some of their nervousness returning. For his part, Souji glanced up from the couch he had been eyeing. “Perhaps we should have that discussion over lunch. I saw a cafe on the way in that looked quite lovely.”

“Oh, I figured I would whip up something here.” Okamura said, glancing towards the kitchen.

“I wouldn’t want to impose that much,” Souji replied. “And I’ll foot the bill. It is SONG business, after all.”

Matsura narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Is that a bribe?”

“Not at all,” Souji said, a polite smile on his face. “It would be improper to make you pay for a lunch from our visit after all the times your daughter has helped us. We are technically her employer, after all.”

Okamura glanced at her husband, implicitly leaving the decision to him. Matsura remained quiet for a few more moments, eyeing the ninja. Miku and Hibiki glanced between the two, not sure what to make of the sudden tension in the room. Finally, Matsura exhaled through his nose and nodded. “Very well, a meal out does sound like a good idea. Let me get my hat.”

—

In the back of a van parked inside a parking deck in an adjacent commercial district, well out of sight of the Kohinata household, three men listened in on the conversation with great interest. Though Director Ogawa had tried to sound casual, they all had the same gut feeling that the jig was up.

“Think he noticed them?”

“Given _who _he is, yeah. Definitely.”

“I’m calling it in.”

—

“Erm… Ogawa.” Okamura said as Souji began to turn down a residential alley. “The nearest cafe is that way.” She indicated the road they had been walking down.

“I saw another one over this way while driving into town,” Souji replied matter-of-factly. “It should be closer.”

Both Okamura and Matsura frowned slightly as neither of them recalled any nearby cafe in that direction. From just in front of them, Miku and Hibiki also exchanged glances. Something definitely felt wrong here. They didn’t know the older Ogawa brother like they did Shinji, but given that he _was _the commander’s older brother surely he wouldn’t lead them astray? With only a bit of trepidation they followed Souji, compelling Miku’s parents onwards.

They were halfway down the alleyway when Souji abruptly stopped, reached into his jacket’s vest, and drew a handgun.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Matsura demanded, immediately moving between Souji and the rest of them.

Souji ignored him, instead raising his SONG communicator to his mouth with his other hand. “This is Director Ogawa, requesting immediate extraction for the Kohinata and Tachibana families.”

“Director Ogawa?” Hibiki asked in slight alarm.

“Tachibana and Kohinata.” Souji continued, clearly addressing Miku and Hibiki. “I need you two to keep a lookout.” The two girls glanced between each other and the ninja before nodding, each of them turning to watch a different side of the alleyway. Souji turned around to look Matsura square in the eyes. “My apologies for the deception, but I had to make sure we were some place where we could not be overheard.”

“Overheard?” Okamura asked, unable to take her eyes off of the gun. “What do you mean?”

“Your entire house was bugged,” Souji answered. “And even now, it is possible we are being followed.”

“Followed?” Matsura abruptly turned to look around in alarm. “Who would-” He paused, recalling there was only one group that might be following them which would prompt a SONG agent to draw a gun.

“You think it’s the Four Horsemen?” Miku asked, keeping her eyes on the end of the alley they had just come down. She couldn’t see anyone, but now she felt very much on edge. Already in her mind’s eye, she could see the blue optical goggles of the Horsemen’s gas masked soldiers, their rifles raised, appearing at the alley’s entrance. The black haired girl hand reached up to clasp at the silver diamond of the Shenshoujing around her neck, and her lips drew together in determination. She would **_not _**let them hurt her family.

“S-surely not.” Okamura’s shaky voice was rather at odds with her assertion. “Surely it’s just some more reporters. They’ve been quite a bit persistent since the news got out.”

But Souji shook his head. “That would have been a gross violation of privacy almost no reporter would have dared undertaken. Even if it was one bold enough to do so, the bugs were far too well placed and hidden for it to have been a civilian job. I was barely able to pick them out, and believe me when I say I know a thing about surveillance. Whoever set them up were professionals, and **_very _**good ones at that.”

“W-wait.” Hibiki abruptly turned, worry rising in her voice. “If they were watching Miku’s parents then that means-”

“Yes, Tachibana,” Ogawa nodded. “They probably are watching yours as well.”

A look of panic started to sweep across Hibiki’s face. “Oh no. Dad was coming today since we were going to go and visit after-”

The ninja quickly cut her off, trying to sound soothing. “Don’t worry, I’ve called for them to be picked up as well. We’ll make sure they’re safe.”

\----

[Alert: Fifth Seal Cell 107 Reports Probable OPSEC Breach. Verifying.]  
[OPSEC Breach Verified. Recalculating.]  
[Fifth Seal Mission Parameter Update:]

Cell 107: Subjects Kilo-India-Alpha Redesignated HVTs Kilo-India-Alpha. Liquidate. White Unit Killteam Release Authorized. Effective Immediate.

Cell 108: Subjects Tango-India-Alpha Redesignated HVIs Tango-India-Alpha. Secure Primary. Liquidate Secondary. Effective Immediate.

\----

**Next Chapter: **The Fifth Seal

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for another raise of hands! Back when I tossed you guys the “White Unit ID Codes” and they had Kanade and Serena listed under them, which of you suspected that was for more than just the sake of completeness?  
This chapter was fun because I got to write how normal people see and react in-person to the Geahs when they’re transformed, both in and out of action. I hit upon the idea quite early on in writing the story that the Geahs when transformed have this awe-inspiring otherworldly aura to them, as befitting a source of miracles, that can be quite stunning to an ordinary person who isn’t used to or prepared for it when meeting them in person. But since the combat segments of the story up until now has been told overwhelmingly from the Geah’s perspective, I haven’t been able to do much more than hint at it until now. Expect it to be something that comes up a bit, since this story will feature the Geah’s fighting around, and with, ordinary people quite a bit more frequently than in the series.
> 
> Also writing Geah’s finally being able to go full house against a modern(ish) army. That's something I’ve been waiting to do for awhile now.
> 
> Shenshoujin being a silver diamond instead of a red crystal is a cosmetic nod to its different origins as a Faust Robe. It has a bit of canonical support too, from the end of XV’s episode 8.
> 
> Finally, split story arc! Originally, this chapter was supposed to cover the entirety of the Panau battle arc, then time jump backwards a bit to cover the start of what I’ve dubbed the “Day with the Tachibana’s and Kohinata’s” arc. But after I started writing this chapter, me and my beta’s quickly agreed that it would probably work better if we split between the two arcs. Not only does this let us emphasize that these events are chronologically occurring parallel to each other, it also let’s us cliffhanger you guys TWICE in one chapter! Now that’s efficiency!


	13. The Fifth Seal

Distortions  
Chapter 13:  
The Fifth Seal

\----

Tsubasa wasn’t sure how long she stared in shock at what was all too clearly the body of her former Zwei Wing partner. This was _impossible_. Kanade’s body had burned away with the rest of her life. Yet here it was, looking exactly as she had the morning of that fateful concert. Tsubasa could tell it wasn’t just the body, either: the rise and fall of her chest, the bubbles floating up from the mask attached to her face… Kanade was **_alive_**.

But how?

“Holy _fuck,_” Exclaimed one of the Marines filtering in through the hole Tsubasa had carved. His voice snapped her out of her fugue, causing her to notice for the first time that neither the tank nor Kanade were the only ones in the room. Four more tanks were lined up beyond the first one, each one containing another body of Kanade Amou. Each one visibly younger than the first.

The sight made Tsubasa abruptly realize the obvious: they were clones. Of course, that’s how. She felt stupid for getting her hopes up, and a strange sense of disappointment washed over her. But then she realized that, if they had clones of Kanade here, then…

Almost afraid of what she would see, Tsubasa slowly turned to her right. And, in the next row of tanks, saw herself. And then Chris in the next row. And Hibiki in the next. Kirika, Shirabe, Maria, Miku, and… Tsubasa stiffened as she looked at a clone of what could only be Maria’s little sister, Serena. Tsubasa had only ever seen her once before, when the apparitions of their loved ones had appeared at Yggdrasil, but Maria had described her frequently enough that the swordswoman easily recognized her. Dimly, she noted that there were only two clones of Serena and three of Miku whereas each other adaptor had between five and eight.

Tsubasa shakily stepped up to the tank containing the oldest of the Kanade clones, the one that had captured her attention when she first entered. Glancing over it, her eyes were quickly drawn to the white-lettering printed at the base of the tank.

_Project 13B545 Bio-Sample No. 243 - Sierra-2 Retired  
_ _+5 Years Synchronization, -4 Years Balal Positive_

“This is like something out of a video game. Some Resident Evil-type shit,” Muttered Private Gibson as he glanced quickly between each clone tank.

It occurred to a small part of Tsubasa’s mind that the Marines were technically seeing her, her old girlfriend, and all of her friends completely in the buff. Fortunately, the troops seemed vastly more spooked by the clones than anything. And the rest of the blue-haired girl’s mind was too disturbed to care.

Tsubasa walked around the first tank and down to the fifth one containing a Kanade clone. She looked at that clone for a moment. The Kanade in there was the same age as the real Kanade had been the day they first met, though the clone looked vastly more peaceful with her eyes closed and resting. Tsubasa looked down at the lettering printed on the tank.

_Project 13B545 Bio-Sample No. 248 - Sierra-2 Retired  
_ _0 Years Synchronization, -9 Years Balal Positive - BASELINE_

She turned away from the youngest Kanade clone, towards her… own set of clones. The raw bizarreness of that thought gnawed at her. Tsubasa stepped up to the next tank, in which there was a version of herself the same age as when she first sang and activated Ame no Habakiri. Had she really been so small? She read the text.

_Project 13B545 Bio-Sample No. 257 - Sierra-1 Actual  
_ _0 Years Synchronization, -14 Years Balal Positive - BASELINE_

That reference to her relic synchronization and Balal again. But what did they mean by baseline? What were the Four Horsemen doing here? Tsubasa turned and walked down the row to the frontmost clone tank, the one which quite clearly contained the most recent iteration of herself. Again, she read the text.

_Project 13B545 Bio-Sample No. 249 - Sierra-1 Actual  
_ _+14 Years Synchronization, +4 Months Balal Negative_

Her brow furrowed as she tried to chase away the discomfort and shock of being in the presence of multiple copies of herself and her friends by focusing on the mystery. What did it mean by ‘Balal _Negative?’ _She turned and walked down the rows of tanks containing clones of her friends, keeping her eyes down on the lettering.

The same pattern repeated itself. A first row of words “Project 13B545 Bio-Sample” followed by an identification number. The second row consistently measured first the timespan from when they first synchronized with their relic, and secondly from either before or after the Curse of Balal’s destruction. Each adaptor, save Kanade and Serena, had one or two clones that were apparently labelled as ‘Balal Negative’, most of them apparently two to four months.

Tsubasa returned to the front of the room to find a Navy corpsman had arrived and was examining the monitor attached to the foremost clone of Chris. Tsubasa had disregarded those monitors at first, figuring they would display the same information as all the others. But walking up behind the corpsman, she saw that wasn’t the case. The monitors were showing four screens: pulse, blood pressure, body temperature and… Tsubasa frowned as she realized she couldn’t tell what the fourth monitor was showing.

“Corpsman,” She said. The Navy man practically leapt out of his skin at her voice, turning around to come to attention.

“Ma’am!” He said quickly. “Apologies, I didn’t realize you were there.”

“It’s fine,” Tsubasa reassured him. She nodded at the fourth screen. “What is that one showing?”

“It _looks _like brain activity,” The Corpsman replied, calming down and turning back to the monitor. “Not entirely sure on that - brain wounds aren’t something we treat in the field - but that’s the best I can figure out.”

Tsubasa looked back at the screen in question. It seemed quite dim. “What can you tell from it?”

“Well,” He said, shifting awkwardly. “I think it says they’ve got pretty much no higher brain functions and minimal lower brain functions. Nothing outside of basic life functions.” With uncertainty, he glanced over his shoulder, rather aware he was talking about doppelgangers of the comrades of the person he was talking to. “They’re pretty much vegetables, ma’am.”

Tsubasa bit her lip in thought, trying to place it all together. So the Horsemen had brain dead clones of her and her friends at various stages in their lives after they had first synchronized with a Symphogear, presumably for some science experiments. But what were they studying?

The only thing that occurred to her was back in the Frontier Incident, when they found Hibiki’s fusion with Gungnir was basically eating her. But their medical check-ups with SONG had kept a careful vigilance for that sort of thing since and not a single sign of such a problem recurring had cropped up with any of them. Plus, there remained the question of what the hell the Curse of Balal had to do with any of it.

“Thank you Corpsman, that will be all,” Tsubasa finally said, forcing herself to turn away and glance around the rest of the room. The Marines were also poking around the edges, with most of them largely too spooked by the clones of people they regarded as superheroes to actually approach the tanks. Tsubasa’s eyes were drawn to a series of workstations along the walls. If any answers to the mystery were to be found here, they would be there.

She ignored the desktop terminals, which were all displaying the same System Error screen she had seen on most other monitors in this place and instead scanned the desks directly. Papers, pieces of papers, and books were scattered about. Apparently, whoever worked here had put effort into destroying the information, but Tsubasa quickly singled out one desk with a booklet on top of it labelled ‘Project 13B545’ in big bold letters. Quickly, she snatched it up, flipping it open to the first page.

**Project 13B545 Abstract**

_The purpose of Project 13B545 is to verify and study the hypothesis advanced by Professor-108 regarding the development of Sierra-Golf physiology and biology post-Balal/Yggdrasil (_ _See Annex A for Professor-108 Interview Details), particularly relative to their pre-Balal rate. To summarize, it posits that the destruction of the Curse of Balal and the continued synchronization, active and inactive, between the Sierra-Golfs’ bodies and their relics are-_

Tsubasa didn’t learn what came next because the rest of the page had been torn out. Grinding her teeth together in frustration, she flipped to the introduction… and found herself completely lost. Not only were pages, or parts of pages, missing, but the sheer density of English scientific terminology quickly overwhelmed her. Maybe Elfnein could make some coherent sense of this, but Tsubasa couldn’t. She flipped to the end to find the conclusion or maybe that ‘Annex A’ the abstract mentioned, only to find those entire sections had also been ripped out.

Tsubasa was tempted to throw the booklet across the room, but restrained herself. After all, SONG’s technical staff might still be able to use it to piece together whatever the hell the Horsemen thought the relics were doing to them. She glanced back down at the desk and immediately noticed that beneath the booklet had been a single page memo.

**In Regards to the Proposed Name**

_I’m well aware that many of you have your reservations regarding the proposed new taxonomic designation. Different bases for the objections have been raised: the necessity of it, how appropriate it is in regards to the Horsemen’s mission, the reliability of Professor-312, etc., etc._

_Regardless, Professor-108 has approved the proposed nomenclature for internal Pale Unit use, and the Lamb has also ratified it. The decision is out of our hands. From now on, the Sierra-Golfs will be considered a new sub-species of humanity under the designation _Homo sapien sumphonia_. All Pale Unit researchers will be expected to use such terminology in their scientific papers lest they be subject to an unpleasant reprimand from yours truly._

_If you continue to have doubts, then my recommendation is that you regard the taxonomic classification of the Sierra-Golfs as _H. s. sumphonia _as a cold reminder to what is at stake. Humanity as a species is at a crossroads: either it will be free to choose its own destiny, or it will be shackled to the whims and wills of emergent physical goddesses. It is the duty of the Four Horsemen to ensure that the _H. s. sumphonia _be rendered as extinct as the _H. neanderthalensis _so that the latter outcome may never come about._

_ -Professor-110  
_ _Pale Unit Vice Director _

A cold pit formed in Tsubasa’s stomach as she read the memo, piecing it together with everything else she had seen and read. The Four Horsemen’s researcher didn’t think the Symphogear adaptors would remain entirely human? Then she remembered…

_“But there’s no point in casting out the old gods just to replace them with new ones.”_

_“And you are a human wearing a monster’s skin!_ _”_

She had thought they were merely using rhetorical flourishes at the time, but now she could see. The Four Horsemen didn’t even think they were completely human. Were they wrong? Were they just lying to themselves to justify their actions? It wouldn’t be the first time science was twisted to justify an evil ideology. But then again, what if… what if they _were right?_

Her eyes drifted away from the memo to the sword of Ame no Habakiri. For more than a decade of her life, the Symphogear had been the closest thing to a constant companion an inanimate object could be. It had saved Tsubasa’s life again and again. Through it, she had forged herself into a protector of humanity and had helped bring and bind her closest friends to her.

But at the moment, it seemed as alien to her as the Noise.

—

Successfully saving people from the Four Horsemen was probably the best form of catharsis Chris Yukine could have asked for. Sure, seeing grown men gawk at her like they were one of Tsubasa’s otaku groupies was a bit annoying at first, but inspiring them to fight alongside her made her feel like a hero rather than a human failure or an alien. 

Also, killing members of the Four Horsemen was really, _really _satisfying. It was like playing a first-person shooter, only you were killing the people who murdered your father rather than digital simulations on a computer screen. On the battlefield, she didn’t need to worry about whether Komichi would still be her friend or what some tabloid said about her. All she had were objectives to complete, lives to save, and bastards to put into shallow graves. Besides, it wasn’t like nerve-stapled clones counted as people. She idly wondered if she should be concerned about her newfound bloodlust, but decided to put that off for another time. 

With the remaining holdouts of the Horsemen’s soldiers being handled by the Marines, she concluded her job was done and dispelled Ichaival. She had been directed to wait in one of the loading bays of the above ground section of the facility. There, she was to wait for Tsubasa and Ogawa to arrive so that they could discuss the next step in person. 

The place was a mess from the fighting, with the shipping containers having been shattered or tossed about by explosions. A factory smokestack had toppled across one corner and taken a warehouse wall at the other end. Chris was using a particularly large chunk of the smokestack as an improvised chair. Still, Marine engineers had done their best to make it usable for their purposes, clearing away enough detritus to turn it into an impromptu helipad.

A column of Marines jogged by, a bunch of them cheering as they spotted her. She waved encouragingly back in acknowledgement. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed another Marine picking his way towards her across some rubble, some nervousness in his body language. She turned to glance at him curiously, acknowledging his presence and prompting him to begin.

“Hey, so Megadeth-”

“Yukine,” Chris quickly cut him off. She appreciated that the Marines found her approachable enough when she wasn’t transformed, but _god, _did that nickname make her cringe.

The Marine paused for a moment to process her interruption. “Uh… ‘kay, Yukine. Me and the guys wanted to ask ya something.”

“Yeah? Shoot.”

The Marine chuckled, apparently finding something funny about that. “So, about all those missiles and bullets… where do they go when you aren't using them?”

Chris snorted in response, taking a moment to stretch. “Buddy, I've been using my relic for _years_ now, and I can tell you with absolute confidence that it's all just bullshit.”

The Marine blinked in confusion. “... What?”

“Yukine!” Tsubasa called in greeting as she approached.

Though the swordswoman had also dropped her armor, the Marine found the prospect of dealing with two adaptors at once a bit more than he could handle.

“Uh… see ya around, Megadeth,” He said quickly, beating a hasty retreat.

Tsubasa blinked after him before looking at Chris in confusion. “Megadeth?”

Chris blushed. “Don’t ask.” She actually expected Tsubasa to push further. It was something of a surprise when the blue-haired woman didn’t. Instead, she let out a long suffering sigh and began to lean against a nearby container, closing her eyes. Chris furrowed her brow in concern. “Hey, everything go alright down there?”

For a long moment, Tsubasa hesitated. Strictly speaking, the answer to the question was yes. Despite the losses, the underground portion of the facility was entirely cleared and almost secured. But such an answer simply wouldn’t be the whole story, she knew. She didn’t have the first clue on how to break the news to Chris that the relics they were synched with might be transforming them into a new and apparently godlike sub-species of humanity.

Although, Tsubasa contemplated, maybe a good part of that was because she didn’t know what precisely that entailed, even assuming it was a real concern and not something cooked up by the Horsemen’s deranged minds. Perhaps Elfnein would be able to make sense of the documents. Then she’d know whether and how much to panic.

That still left the matter of what to say to Chris though. “We successfully defeated the enemy and took their facility, but what we found down there… well, I’m sure it’ll come up in the debriefing.”

Chris put her hand on Tsubasa’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it,” she said with a grimace. She could imagine what sort of mad science horrors the Four Horsemen were getting up to. She wasn’t going to make Tsubasa recall what she saw if it had disturbed her that much.

The blue-haired girl smiled back at Chris and took her hand in her own. “Thank you, Yukine. I promise, I’ll talk about it later. Some of the things down there were beyond my understanding. We’ll need Elfnein to look into all of it.”

“Bad sci-fi bullshit does seem like their style,” Chris surmised, causing Tsubasa to chuckle a little.

The roar of an inbound helicopter caused the two to look up, but the landing chopper was marked with Marine colors rather than SONG’s name, so they initially disregarded it. Then, General Shaw stepped out, drawing salutes from nearby Marines that he swiftly returned. Glancing around, he spotted the two adaptors and promptly beelined for them.

Realizing that a senior allied military officer was directly approaching them, Tsubasa and Chris hurriedly came to their feet and did their best to look respectful. They wondered whether they should salute or not, but the problem was solved when Shaw saluted them instead.

“You two girls really saved our bacon today,“ He began. “I owe you one; hell, the entire Marine Corps owes you both a pretty big one.”

“It was nothing general.” Chris tried to shrug the praise off. “SONG’s supposed to be ’bout helping people, and you needed the help.”

“I wouldn’t call shredding a division’s worth of troops _before _you factor in the direct facility garrison ‘nothing’.” Shaw shook his head. “It was incredible. Without you, we would have been driven into the sea.” He gave a wry smirk. “Not to mention, I think you scared the pants off the Chinese. They actually pulled back a bit after seeing what you did.” The smile started to vanish. “Although…”

“General?” Tsubasa asked, curious as to his sudden mood shift.

“I’m a bit concerned it might not be the right kind of scared,” Shaw clarified. “Might be the sorta scared that drives them to do something rash.” He shook his head. “In any case, leave it to me and the politicos to handle that mess. And your commander, I guess.” The sound of another approaching helicopter made him look over his shoulder. “And speaking of…”

Sure enough, the next helicopter to touch down did bear SONG’s name. It idled on the improvised landing pad as Shinji Ogawa disembarked and hurried over. “General Shaw,” He greeted.

“Commander Ogawa,” Shaw replied warmly. “I was just thanking your girls for their assistance.” He glanced back over at them. “And I also just wanted to let you know that I’m grateful enough to put in the paperwork to request that they receive the Bronze Star.”

“Ah, wait…” Chris hurriedly answered. “We’re not doing this for any reward or any-”

“Yukine!” Tsubasa’s voice took on a bit of a reprimanding tone. “Medals are a way of recognizing the achievements of the recipient! We would be spitting on the gratitude of General Shaw and his men by rejecting this honor.”

Chris’s first instinct was to snap back with something sarcastic, but she didn’t want to cause a scene in front of a senior military leader, so instead, she just paused to digest Tsubasa’s words. “Ah… I see.”

The General nodded, clearly tying up his part of the conversation. “Well, I best get back to making sure the Chinese don’t kick off World War Three and arranging things with the technical teams. See you two around,” Shaw looked at Tsubasa, “Samurai.” Then he looked over at Chris. “MegaDeth.” With that, the general turned and left the two girls looking quite red in the face.

Ogawa raised a slightly confused eyebrow as he watched the general go before turning back to the two. “Samurai? MegaDeth?”

“Don’t ask,” They both echoed simultaneously.

Ogawa blinked a few times in confusion before shaking his head. “Well, regardless, the technical teams can handle it from here.” His face became grim. “You will want to get back to the sub, there’s been an incident in Chiba with Kohinata and Tachibana. Apparently, the Four Horsemen attacked their families.”

\----

Akira Tachibana took one last moment to steel his resolve before finally ringing the doorbell. He shouldn’t have been this nervous. He had already been here dozens of times since February alone, after all. Then again, he hadn’t intended to ask what he did today. He tried to recall when was the last time he felt like this. It had to have been… when he first proposed to Harumi? Huh, how appropriate. Okay, Akira, just seven simple words. You can do this.

Then Harumi opened the door again. While most people would have called her plain-looking, her dazzling smile never failed to enrapture him. At her happy expression, his mind went blank. Why had he been so stupid as to run away from this? Akira barely registered exchanging greetings with his ex-wife and being pulled inside to take a seat in the kitchen.

“Harumi, who is it?” A somewhat dour-looking old woman with short white hair emerged from the living room. Koyomi Tachibana, Hibiki’s grandmother, frowned a little as she spotted Akira. “Ah, Akira.”

Her voice was neutral. That was, at least, a massive improvement from the winter when it was ‘massive disappointment’ and the spring where it was ‘don’t fuck up’. As if Akira needed the reminder. Still, he didn’t hold it against her. “Koyomi. Doing well?”

“As well as these bones will let me.” Koyomi replied evenly, walking over to take her own seat.

“I’ll fix us some tea.” Harumi said, moving over to the countertop.

Akira took the silence to again start gathering his courage, as well as taking the time to reflect on how far things had come. The Shem-Ha incident had been the watershed point, even if he now knew it wasn’t just so for him. They were able to move past all those troubles and disagreements, resolving their arguments and reconciling their differences. It was almost like they were married again…

Almost, but not quite. Akira hoped he could take the last step now. He owed Hibiki so much for helping him reconcile, helping him become a better person. The old him would have tried to exploit his status as Hibiki’s father when the news came out, demanding money for interviews and bragging about it at work. Now, he was shutting down the reporters who had tracked him down and shrugging it off when some co-workers at the odd-jobs he managed to find brought it up. The old him, so eager to capitalize on every little thing, too blinded by avarice and ambition to see what truly mattered, would have crashed and burned.

Still, he’d need to get a better paying and steadier job if things panned out the way he was hoping they would. Maybe he wouldn’t get something on the level of his old research job right out the gate, but he could work his way up.

Idly, he realized he wanted to meet Hibiki’s friends. The other Symphogear users. There had been that brief moment after she saved him from Carol, but he hadn’t really gotten to know them before Hibiki dragged them off.

And speaking of Hibiki and her friends… 

“Hibiki is bringing Miku, right?” Akira asked.

“Of course.” The question had been directed at his ex-wife, but Koyomi answered. “They’re visiting Miku’s family first though. I have to admire her spunk, admitting it through a press conference.”

“Leave it to Hibiki to inform us she was a superhero before informing us she had found someone she loved,” Akira chuckled. He had figured out that Hibiki fell in love with Miku that winter day she had been placed under house arrest and had to stay at his place. When she had confided her heart and soul to him, it pained him that he couldn’t offer more than some feel-good platitudes he hadn’t really believed in himself.

And yet somehow, those ‘feel-good platitudes’ had proved to be the key for Hibiki to take back her love and save all of humanity. Truly, the universe had a strange sense of humor.

“She hid it rather poorly, all these years,” Koyomi continued.

Akira paused at that. “Huh? What do you mean? They didn’t get together the past few months?”

Koyomi looked at him in disbelief at first, but then her gaze became thoughtful. “I suppose you wouldn’t have been here to notice,” She mused. Though her voice held no venom, he winced at the reminder. Then her gaze sharpened and she leaned forward, whispering. “But I don’t know what you’re waiting for here, so hurry up and say it to her. I’d like to have something good to tell them as well. She’ll say yes.”

She knew? Akira stared back at her flabbergasted before sighing. Of course she knew. The old woman was still as sharp as ever. Alright, once again Akira, you can do this. He turned to Harumi.

“Harumi,” He said quickly, waiting a moment for his ex-wife to look up from the counter at him. “I want to-”

He was interrupted as the doorbell rang. An urgent knock on the door quickly followed it.

Koyomi frowned. “That can’t be Hibiki and Miku, can it?”

Harumi looked at the clock and shook her head. “It’s far too early.” She got up and headed for the door. “Hopefully, it isn’t another reporter.”

“They still haven’t left you alone?” Akira frowned.

“Oh, they’ve levelled off a fair bit since the press conference,” Harumi replied idly as she reached the door. A trio of men in black suits with sunglasses stood before her.

“Harumi Tachibana?” One of them asked. “We’re with SONG. We need you and your mother to come with us.”

Harumi reeled at the sudden request. “What? Why?”

“We believe your lives are under immediate danger from the Four Horsemen,” The SONG agent answered. “We believe they are trying to get at Hibiki Tachibana through you. Please, we need to get you somewhere safe quickly.”

Harumi glanced over her shoulder. “My… my ex-husband, Hibiki’s father, is here too.”

“That’s good.” The agent added. “It’s best he accompany us as well.”

“Harumi? Who is it?” Akira said as he stepped into the hall.

“They say they’re with SONG.” Harumi turned so her ex-husband could see. “They’re concerned people might be coming after us because of Hibiki and want us to come with them.”

“Get us? To get at Hibiki?” Akira asked, his face growing worried. People coming after his family again? He gripped his fist. He would make sure they were safe this time. And SONG promised that safety. “Perhaps it’s best we do so, then.”

“What’s this about Hibiki?” Koyomi asked as she too stepped out into the hallway.

“Ma’am.” The agent was starting to sound impatient. “Please, Hibiki Tachibana is very concerned for you all. We have to get you out of here.”

“Oh, well, why didn’t you just say so? Just let me get my purse and shoes,” Koyomi insisted, causing Akira to roll his eyes.

The three agents led the Tachibanas to a black SUV parked out front with tinted windows, their heads constantly swivelling for threats. One climbed into the driver’s seat while the other two opened the passenger door. The Tachibanas idly noted that the backseats had been modified. The middle row seats had been moved back and a fourth backwards facing chair had been added behind the driver's seat.

They helped Harumi in first but Koyomi paused for a moment after she stepped up, glancing over at one of the agents. “How is Hibiki doing?”

“She’s doing okay, ma’am,” He replied as he helped her into the vehicle. “But she’s really worried about you. Don’t worry, she’ll see you soon.”

Koyomi nodded in understanding, fiddling with her purse as she sat down. Harumi reached around to help her mother with the seatbelt. Akira nodded to the men gratefully as he sat down last, next to Koyomi. One of the two agents climbed into the chair across from him while the third circled around to ride shotgun.

As they drove away from the house, Koyomi looked, not at the man in the rear-facing seat, but at the driver. “What is she like in the morning dearies? I can imagine with all the ruckus with the paparazzi, she's having a rough go of it."

The agents didn’t seem like they expected that question. The two in the front seat shared a look. Finally, the one in the passenger seat responded, “Uh… yeah, they really keep her up.”

Koyomi nodded. “And is she still eating well?”

There was another awkward moment before the one in the rear facing seat answered. “Decently, I suppose. A solid three meals each day.”

“She’s keeping clean?” This time, it was Harumi who asked the question.

“I’d imagine so. She seemed pretty clean the last I saw her,” One of the agents replied, as beads of sweat formed on his brow.

“Has she taken to any particular instrument at school?” Akira decided to join in.

“We-uh-we don’t keep track of that sort of thing. We try and respect their privacy at school.”

The one in the rear-facing seat abruptly sat up. “We got a trio of cars following us. It’s probably them.”

“The enemy?” The driver slammed on the gas, abruptly turning hard at the oncoming light. “Hold on, Tachibana, we’ll get you out of here!”

Both Harumi and Akira let out a little shout and tightened their grips on their armrests. Koyomi glanced at her daughter and ex-in-law and silently rolled her eyes.

“They know we saw them!” The rear-facing agent shouted. The one in the passenger seat had pulled out a tablet and opened a map.

“We should be able to lose them in that alleyway.” He paused for a moment and glanced at the Tachibanas. “Don’t hit any civilians.”

The driver swung them around into the alley rather expertly, shouting to the Tachibanas. “Don’t worry, I did street racing as a delinquent before I cleaned myself up and joined SONG!”

They sped down the alleyway, the van never quite touching the walls. Akira yelped a few times when it seemed they were going to though. Fortunately, nobody had chosen to take an idle stroll down this alley at the moment. The car crossed several minor streets then turned onto one randomly before merging into another busy street.

“Ah hell,” The rearman swore. He turned to his compatriot and reported “We’ve got another two coming down on us.”

“What? How?!” The driver demanded.

“I don’t know!” The rearman retorted, clearly frustrated.

“Another alleyway on the right there should do it.” The passenger agent remained calm, even as the driver again swerved into it. Again, they threaded the needle and again they emerged onto a randomly chosen street.

“Nobody behind us.” The rearman said in relief.

“Yeah, well, that’s because we’ve got a roadblock up ahead!” The driver shouted.

And indeed, a series of cars were lined up across the way, men in black suits with pistols drawn crouching down behind them.

“What? How the hell did they know we were coming?!” The man in the passenger seat shouted.

“I don’t know, but I need an alternate!” The driver said quickly.

The passenger agent quickly fiddled with his tablet. “Take a left, now!”

The SUV swung around, narrowly threading between two corner buildings and emerging onto an interior park path. The driver slowed down enough and leaned on the horn so that people could see them and scramble away in time. They cut through another two building corners and once again emerged onto another major street.

“I think we’re in the clear up front.” The driver said.

“I’ve still got one car behind us.” The rear-facing man replied.

“Helicopter overhead.” The agent in the passenger seat reported, squinting up through the front window.

“Ours, theirs, civilian?” The driver asked.

“Can’t tell with the sun. Wait… wha-!”

The shout was prompted by a figure abruptly falling away from the overhead helicopter, plunging straight towards the car. A moment later, everyone's eyes widened as a soul-shaking song rang out.

_“Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron.”_

A flash of golden light encased the figure, forcing both the agents up front to glance away. Not wanting to crash, the driver held the vehicle steady. The light swiftly faded and the driver quickly turned back to the road… just in time for the figure to plunge straight into the SUV’s engine block, directly in front of the driver. The force of the impact lifted the rear of the vehicle halfway up off the ground. For a moment, it looked like the entire SUV would flip over, but gravity swiftly reasserted itself, causing the back to come crashing back down. The entire engine compartment had been pulverized, and the right passenger door had come off its hinges. Nobody inside the van had been hurt, although they were quite shaken.

The agents in the front seat didn’t even have a chance to recover their bearings when a pair of hands clad in yellow, white, and gold gauntlets smashed through the front windshield, completely shattering it. They seized the two men and dragged them straight out of their seats so forcefully, their belts snapped in two. The agents quickly found themselves eye-to-eye with the royally pissed off face of Hibiki Tachibana.

“Don’t you **_dare _**try to take my family from me!” She hissed, her ethereal aura and angry tone combining to make her voice sound like a portent of divine retribution to them. The ‘SONG agents’ promptly whimpered and passed out in fear.

“Hibiki?!” Harumi shouted in confusion, alarm, and more than a little bit of fear. It was the first time she had personally seen her daughter clad in her Symphogear, and she found herself having a hard time reconciling the dorky, kind, and outgoing Hibiki with this avatar of protective fury.

Hibiki looked up at her mother, and her features softened substantially, causing her presence to fade from ‘awe-and-terror-inspiring’ to just ‘awe-inspiring.’ “Mama! Are you okay?! They didn’t-”

She was cut off by a shout from her father as the last agent sitting across from him lunged forward to strike the emergency release on his seatbelt and dragged Akira out of the car through the lost door. Hibiki dropped the two unconscious agents as she leapt off the engine block to her left, landed in a fighting stance, and froze as she saw the agent had thrown her father to the ground and had a machine pistol pressed to Akira’s temple.

“Watch it, Sympho_bitch_,” He growled. “No sudden moves, or I’ll ventilate your dad’s greymatter.”

“You won’t get away with this,” Hibiki ground out, though she didn’t dare move a muscle. She momentarily glanced up to check on the SONG car, which had already slid to a halt. The agents inside had jumped out and drawn their pistol, but at the distance they were at, they couldn’t fire for fear of hitting her father. She looked back to the man holding her father hostage. “You so much as put a finger on him, and I’ll-”

“Spare me the cliches,” The Horsemen agent sneered as he hauled her father to his feet. “Now, your father and I are going to go on a nice, long walk. Try to stop us, he dies. Anybody try and follow us, we’ll send you his fingers in the-”

There was a crack, and the agent stiffened abruptly before his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he crumpled to the ground. Akira stumbled forward into his daughter’s arms as the grip on him abruptly disappeared.

“Honestly now, putting an old woman through all this excitement,” Koyomi Tachibana huffed as she climbed out of the SUV. Sparing a glance at the man she just knocked unconscious, she dropped the mini-weight in her hand on his body before stepping over it.

“Grandma/Koyomi?!” Hibiki and Akira blinked in quite synchronous surprise together.

“Oh, Hibiki.” Koyomi acted as if she just noticed the youngest Tachibana standing there. She glanced up and down the girl’s armor and gave a grandmotherly smile. “My, you look positively radiant.”

“Eh-heh-heh.” Hibiki laughed nervously, rubbing her head in slight embarrassment as she helped her father back to his feet. “Thanks.”

“Hibiki!” Harumi shouted breathlessly as she climbed out after Koyomi. “What is going on?!”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Koyomi answered for her granddaughter. She indicated the unconscious man she had just clobbered. ”They weren’t with SONG.”

The actual SONG agents approached the scene, holstering their weapons. Most moved to cuff the unconscious Horsemen personnel, but one walked up to the group muttering “Man, the guys on the forum are gonna get a kick out of this.” Out loud, he said to the Tachibana family “Everyone alright? They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

Akira shook his head. “No, we’re alright. What I don’t understand is how you found us.”

“That would be thanks to grandma!” Hibiki answered quickly.

“Eh? How did she…” Harumi’s voice trailed off as her mother pulled out and held up her medical alarm, a small red light indicating it was currently on.

“Just had to follow the signal,” Confirmed the agent as he looked at the eldest Tachibana. 

“I was a bit suspicious when they told me Hibiki would be seeing me soon,” Koyomi began. “Something about the way they said it just felt off. So, I started asking about stuff like how Hibiki was sleeping and such.” She snorted. “Paparazzi keeping her up. _Please_, I know my granddaughter, and she could sleep through a tanker truck exploding!”

“Grandma!” Hibiki shouted in mortification, her face turning red.

But Grandma Tachibana continued. “And only three meals a day? Hibiki eats **_at least_** three times that amount!”

Hibiki’s parents looked at each other for a moment and then started laughing. The SONG agents, for their part, could only look on in bemusement as an elderly woman completely reduced the girl clad in god-slaying, mountain-crushing, magitechnological armor into a sputtering mess.

—

“Copy, I’ll let them know.” The helicopter co-pilot said before twisting around back towards his passengers to shout. “The Tachibanas have been rescued and are being escorted to safety.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Okamura breathed in relief. “Now we just have to get out of here too!”

From next to her father and mother, by the helicopter door, Miku nodded in satisfaction. Of course they had. It was Hibiki after all. Her girlfriend would stop at nothing to help people, especially if those people were her friends or family.

“Good!” Her father agreed. “But where did that Ogawa fellow run off too?”

“He said something about tracking down the people who were watching us,” Miku replied. She was still concerned about that and wondering when her parents might be able to return home. Still, with Hibiki’s parents out of danger, they probably could afford to relax now...

Both of the pilots abruptly stiffened at a piercing warning tone in their headphones. “MISSILE LOCK!” The pilot shouted as he threw the chopper into an abrupt evasive maneuver, causing his passengers to yelp in surprise as they were jerked about in their harnesses. “BRACE! BRACE!”

“RELEASING COUNTERMEASURES!” The co-pilot yelled, smashing the flare release button as the pilot threw the helicopter into another hard bank. It almost worked.

There was the sound of an explosion and ripping metal. The helicopter abruptly heaved forward as if it had been kicked by a giant before the ground below began to whip around and around as it settled into a spin. It was so violent, the latch on the passenger door Miku was sitting next to broke away, driving the door open.

“TAIL’S GONE!” The pilot shouted. “WE CAN’T CONTROL IT!”

Thinking quickly and trying to control the flip-flops her stomach was doing, Miku slammed the emergency release on her harness. She paid no attention to her parents’ shouts of alarm and fear as the centrifugal forces of the helicopter’s spin tore her out of her chair and through the open passenger door. As she fell, the black-haired girl reached up to seize the diamond necklace tucked just under her shirt and sang…

_“Rei Shenshoujing rei zizzl.”_

Miku was already pushing her ionocraft modules hard as the silver light of her transformation faded, swiftly aligning herself with the nose of the out-of-control helicopter. The Shenshoujing’s cables lashed out, digging into the sides of the helicopter, and her modules roared as she brought the helicopter out of its spin. Recognizing what she was trying to do, the pilots cut the engine so she no longer had to fight the force of the main rotor.

The helicopter slowed and then stopped as Miku brought it under control. With the immediate danger past, she swiftly looked around for a place to put it down. She couldn’t hold it up all day.

There. That junior high school yard was the closest. She descended towards it, her Ionocraft modules whining under the strain of trying to _carefully _bring down a helicopter weighing almost eight metric tons. There were students out and about, apparently conducting summer club activities or in for remedial classes, who turned at the noise and stared in shock as they watched an otherworldly girl clad in an equally ethereal white and purple gown carry a broken helicopter using a series of cables extending out from her waist. A distant part of Miku’s mind registered a familiarity with the school yard she was landing in, but she was busy making sure the helicopter didn’t crash or break apart.

The track team backed away as Miku slowly came towards their field, unconsciously clearing a space for her to touch down. In one last heave, she set the chopper down. With the strain lifted off of them, her Ionocraft modules quietened down to their usual imperceptible hum. The Shenshoujing wielder didn’t waste any time at all, quickly hovering around back to the passenger door.

“Mama! Papa!” She called out, swiftly peering in. “Are you okay?”

Both her mother and father stared at her in shock and amazement.

“Miku…” Matsura’s voice was filled with total disbelief. “This is…”

“Ah, yes.” Miku said, suddenly self-conscious as she fidgeted in a bit of embarrassment. “This is my Symphogear. Don’t be afraid, it’s still me.”

“You look beautiful…” Okamura breathed, completely enraptured.

Miku felt her blush intensify. “Thanks, mama. But are you two really okay?”

The two shook themselves at that, adjusting themselves to the presence of Miku’s transformed state. Despite it all, they could still tell that was their daughter. They shared a glance. “A bit in shock, I guess.” Matsura finally said. “But otherwise, we feel fine.”

“We’ll call for back-up,” the SONG pilots said as they started fiddling with the helicopters communications. Miku nodded. Good. Now, all she needed to do was look out for any danger. 

“Is-is that… a Symphogear?!”

The shout caused Miku to turn around, only to find a whole bunch of the junior high students forming a crowd as they clamored to see what was going on. Their faces were all filled with a mix of awe, excitement, and curiosity. The degree of awe only grew as she turned to face them. A moment of stunned silence lingered as they stared at her.

“**_It is! _**That’s Miku Kohinata!” One of the girls standing around her shouted excitedly. With that, the moment past and the floodgates opened. The crowd surged towards Miku, questions and compliments on their lips.

“No way!”

“She‘s so cool!”

“She’s so beautiful!”

“She’s like an angel!”

“No, she’s like a goddess!”

“You can fly?! What’s it like?!”

“How did you hold up that helicopter?!”

“I-I’m rooting for you and T-Tachibana-sama!”

“You’re so lucky to get Tachibana-sama!”

“Ah… ah… K-Kohinata-sama, can I get your autograph?!”

Miku raised her hands and smiled awkwardly. “Aha. Everyone, please get inside. We’re a bit busy right now, so-” 

The sound of several car engines suddenly roared as several vans pulled up. Nondescript figures wearing plain, exercise clothes burst out of each of them. Immediately, some began throwing what looked like grenades at the copter while others got out rifles and machine guns. Acting quickly, Miku lashed out with her cables at the grenades to knock them away from her and the crowd only for them to release a familiar red gas.

_'Anti-LiNKER!' _Miku realized. The red gas swiftly filled the area. The Shenshoujing user could already feel the inhibitor’s effects on her body. Remembering the breathing exercise she learned from Tsubasa and Hibiki, she calmed down and used the **_Early Silhouette _**technique. Her armor configuration transformed from what she wore when she shut down Yggdrasil to what she wore when she fought Hibiki, minus the direct feedback link. 

This bought the plainclothes-wearing Horsemen plenty of time to take aim and open fire on Miku and the downed helicopter her parents were in. In order to block the hail of bullets, she unfolded her Chinese fan Armed Gear into a full shield and placed it in front of her, the chopper, and the crowd of students.

The quicker students around her had already scattered when Miku had first lashed out at the Anti-LiNKER canisters, but not everyone moved fast enough to get out of the way. The Horsemen personnel paid them no heed as they continued firing. Miku’s eyes widened as a few of the fleeing girls went down, several screaming in pain as the bullets found them, causing her blood to boil.

“Miku!” Matsura shouted with fear and concern. He reached out towards his daughter, but one of the pilots who had climbed into the passenger compartment grabbed him and pulled him back deeper into the helicopter. A moment later, a burst of gunfire slipped past Miku’s improvised shield to spark alarmingly close to her parents.

“Papa, stay back! I’ll protect you!” Miku screamed back, her fan blocking most of the bullets aimed at her parents. She needed to fight back if she were to stop them from hurting her parents or anyone else.

Immediately, the words of a familiar song came to Miku’s lips, and she sang aloud: 

_“With a flash, the world begins,  
_ _And in darkness, the world ends.”_

As the eerie song carried through the air, Miku summoned a few floating mirror behind her. The mirrors took aim and fired several lasers back at the Horsemen. They were aimed precisely at the weapons in their arms, to destroy them.

Satisfied that their weapons had been destroyed, Miku flew forward, her whips lashing out, knocking them down to the ground.

_“A tune for the place I call home,  
_ _A home of sunshine and happiness!”_

Miku screamed the line of the song as she knocked down what she could tell was the last Horseman. But rather than stay down, many of them got back up. They came at her, many of them drawing knives, trying to bash themselves against her to no avail. Not even a grunt of pain came from their lips as Miku lashed out at them, even as their limbs clearly broke under her blows. Then Miku saw the look in their eyes - a legion of unchanging, cold, robotic stares - and she knew that these weren’t people. They were nerve-stapled clones, like the ones they had fought at the Château.

Miku also noticed that not all the clone troops were actually focusing on her. Many were actually running past her, towards the helicopter her parents were hiding in. She wasn’t their objective, her parents were.

“_Stars fall like you did that day,  
__I will change everything.”_

Miku’s vision flashed red, and her cables shot forth to block the advancing squad from reaching her parents. When a mere wall of cables was not enough to deter their advance, she lashed out at them, her cables stabbing through the limbs, bodies, and heads of her enemies. Soon, the grass beneath her was stained with the same red as her vision. There would be no more advance on her parents from these troops.

Miku turned only to see a new group of plain-clothed clones running towards the helicopter across the field from a different direction. One had already fallen into a kneel and her heart stopped when she saw a rocket launcher aimed at the helicopter. The clone fired the moment she had processed this sight and Miku swiftly brought her fan up, bisecting the rocket with a beam before it had even made it halfway towards the chopper.

Undeterred the clone reloaded, but Miku shot forward right up to it, barreling through several of its compatriots firing on her. The clone aborted its reload to try and smash her with the launcher, but Miku easily seized the metal tube and drove it back _into _the clones chest. She swung back towards the rest of the team, her fan unfolding and unleashing a **_Flash _**of beams that burned through clothing, muscle, and flesh with equal ease.

_“Give it back, I want it back!  
_ _That still echoing song…!”_

Miku was making progress in deterring the attacking force, but by herself it all seemed too much. For every trooper brought down by her cables or beam, there were two more ready to take its place. For a moment, hope of victory seemed lost to her. They would overrun Miku, hurt the schoolchildren, hurt her parents, hurt her. If she fell here, then Hibiki… Hibiki would…

A flash of yellow descended on another squad of troops like a shooting star, smashing them in every direction, and Miku’s heart soared as a familiar voice shouted, “Don’t worry, Miku! _We’ve_ got this!”

—

“This is getting out of hand.” One of the three men watching the battle from a rooftop through their binoculars said. “Now there’s two of them.”

The other two men turned to stare at him in disbelief. He just blinked back in confusion. “What?”

“So it wasn’t out of hand the moment the staples ran down the gate?” The second man asked. “Or when those school kids got caught in the crossfire?”

“No.” The first man replied bluntly. “Because then the staples still had a chance of completing their mission. The collateral? Regrettable, but this is war, and casualties are inevitable.”

The third man chewed it over for a moment. “I kinda have to agree with MK here.” He nodded towards the first man. “You know we have our orders. Red Unit says this is the best way we can help bring these girls down, so we do what it says. If some others fall along the way, so be it.”

“I’ve heard that line of thinking before,” Souji Ogawa replied from behind the three. “It usually doesn’t end well.”

“Nobody asked…” The second man began to snap, trailing off as he abruptly realized who he was addressing. He went for his machine pistol. “OH FU-!”

His hand never made it to that machine pistol. Neither did either of his other two compatriots.

In the blink of an eye, Souji was onto the first man. He grabbed the man’s gun arm and smashed his nose with his knee simultaneously, causing him to scream in pain. 

In the next second, the other two men felt severe blows to their sides. Souji had punched them while crossing them up, stunning them for a moment. 

The men went to move… but found themselves unable to. On the floor, their shadows were pinned down with three kunai using the **_Shadow Weaving _**technique, which Souji had thrown down while weaving between them. The men could only gasp in horror before Souji quickly leapt up and sent all three toppling to the ground with a single roundhouse kick. 

All of this took place within the span of three seconds.

Souji Ogawa looked down upon the three men. Surely, they were the scum of the Earth for trying to kidnap innocent civilians to use them as hostages against his organization. He’d see them get their comeuppance very soon. For now, he had to make sure the extraction was alright. Judging by the gunfire, he could hazard that there had been complications.

—

Hibiki didn’t understand why Miku had been in such a panicked state when she arrived. When the Gungnir wielder had taken stock of the situation, it was obvious to her that a single adaptor would have been more than enough to hold off the clones, so long as they kept a cool head. Perhaps that was just it, she silently mused as she smashed into another squad of Horsemen soldiers, forcing herself to ignore the way blood, skin, and bits of bone spattered across the ground as her fists went through them. As much as Hibiki hated to admit it, Miku was still the least experienced of any of them. This had been only her second real battle, third if they counted Yggdrasil, and the first one she fought by herself from the start.

They’d have to do something about that. Hibiki wasn’t sure what but she supposed that could wait until later. Miku seemed to have regained her composure with her girlfriend’s arrival and the two were now cutting a swathe through the waves of blank-faced clones. The flow of reinforcements ended only shortly after Hibiki arrived and within less than ten seconds of that, Miku blasted a hole in the last clones head. A sudden silence fell across the school grounds, now soaked in blood and covered in bodies, as the two adaptors swept the area for any remaining enemies.

“That’s the last of them,” Hibiki quickly concluded. “Are you alright, Miku?”

“I’m fine,” Miku replied, although she was slightly distracted. With the pressure of battle over, the nagging familiarity on the appearance of the school grounds came crashing back down on her with a vengeance. It took her only a few more seconds to realize why that was: this wasn’t just any junior high school she had come down in. It was their old junior high school.

During the weekend following the adaptors exposure, Miku had briefly mused on the idea of returning to this place, just to see the reaction of the staff now that the girl they had ostracized was now a global heroine, but had discarded it after only a second’s thought. Hibiki would never want that, and Miku would never make her do something so petty. It was something they had left behind.

Or at least she hoped that was the case. Miku turned to Hibiki and could tell in an instant that her girlfriend had the same realization. The chestnut haired girl simply stood there for a moment, looking around. Then with a shake of her head, she turned away, leaning over the body of one of the girls who had been caught in the crossfire.

“Go ahead, check on your parents, make sure they’re still okay.” Hibiki gently closed the girl’s eyes, her own face unreadable. Miku hesitated, torn between wanting to make sure Hibiki was okay and making sure her parents were okay. When Hibiki turned and saw she still hadn’t left, the Gungnir wielder gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s fine, everything’s fine.”

Miku nodded back and hovered off towards the helicopter, still slightly uncertain. With the adrenaline of battle over, she couldn’t help but notice how different the aftermath was compared to how Hibiki had described the aftermath of fights against Noise. But then, she supposed that was only to be expected. The original Noise merely crumbled to ash when defeated, as did their victims. Alca-Noise didn’t even leave that much, disintegrating into an alchemical red mist that would swiftly blow away on even the faintest breeze. One couldn’t expect the same against an opponent who used biological humans and conventional weaponry.

That didn’t change the fact that it made for a **_far _**more disturbing sight.

“Mama? Papa?” Miku asked as she hovered around to the helicopter door. “It’s over… are you alri-”

“Miku! You’re okay!” Okamura practically tackled Miku into a crushing hug from where her, Matsura, and the two crewmembers had been cowering on the other side of the passenger compartment. Matsura was only slightly more reserved, quickly scrambling across the compartment to inspect his daughter.

“Of course I am.” Miku answered reassuringly, returning the hug. “Symphogear armor is bulletproof. They couldn’t hurt me if they tried.” She tactfully refrained from mentioning that they had tried, and quite hard at that.

“Miku.” She turned at her father’s voice and paused. Matsura, satisfied that his daughter was unharmed was currently looking out at the rest of the battlefield. He looked slightly ill as he took in the carnage. “D-did you do this?” Her mother followed his gaze and the color also began to drain from her face.

Of course, her parents didn’t know the true nature of the soldiers she had fought. That information was still classified, ostensibly to prevent a panic from people realizing precisely how advanced the Horsemen’s technology was. Miku had only gotten it when Chris had put it to her in plain terms.

“If people realize they have the tech to mass produce nerve-stapled clones,” The Ichaival user had said, “Then they’ll realize they also have the tech to build the ultimate bio-weapon.”

Given that the explanation came from Chris, who had otherwise been seething about the reasoning behind continued classification of most details of the Horsemen’s activities, that carried a fair bit of weight as far as Miku was concerned.

Instead, Miku took a different tack in her response. “They were coming to hurt you. To _kill _you.” She motioned angrily to the corpse of one of the unfortunate students, hoping that she wasn’t disrespecting the dead girl in using her body to prove a point. “And they didn’t even care who else they hurt or killed in the process. They had to be stopped, and this was the only way that worked.“

Her parents gaze drifted back and forth between Miku and the corpse strewn battlefield, their faces still pale and uneasy. But they didn’t reply. They seemed to be having a hard enough time coming to terms that their daughter had done this, let alone the reason why.

“Miku!” Miku’s attention was torn away from her parents by Hibiki’s shout. Hibiki was crouching down next to one of the school girls. “She’s still alive!”

Miku glanced back to her parents. Her father opened and closed his mouth, not sure how to react. But her mother nodded instead. “Go.”

The sound of approaching sirens filled the air as Miku swiftly floated over to Hibiki and set herself down. Indeed, the girl Hibiki was lifting into her arms was still breathing, but bleeding intensely from a pair of bullet wounds that had raked across her stomach. She stirred as Hibiki cradled her, her eyes fluttering open at the touch. They focused on Hibiki before widening in recognition.

“Y-you’re...” The wounded girl shuddered in Hibiki’s arms, “H-Hibiki T-Tachi-.”

“Yes, that’s right.” Hibiki answered softly, trying to keep her talking. Keep her awake. “I’m Hibiki Tachibana. What’s your name?”

“W-Waki.” She replied, her voice weakening. “Waki Shi-Shiraishi. I-I wanted to… meet… y-you.” Her eyelids fluttered closed.

“Hey! Hey now!” Hibiki shouted, panic seeping into her voice. She shook the girl as much as she dared too. “Don’t die! Open your eyes! Don’t give up on life!”

Slowly, Waki’s unfocused eyes slid back open, causing Hibiki to breathe a sigh of relief.

“T-Tachibana?! Kohinata?!” A voice, filled with shock, that neither of them had heard in almost three years shouted. They both looked up. Hiro Furuta, their old homeroom teacher from junior high school stood there, a first aid kit in his hands, his face plastered with shock. He had been one of the teachers who had nodded in approval when he saw Hibiki being bullied back then. For a long moment, the two Symphogears and the teacher could do nothing but stare at each other.

In Hibiki’s arms, Waki whimpered in pain. That broke the spell.

“Furuta.” Hibiki looked back down, her voice unusually demanding. “Help her.”

Furuta flinched at her voice but then nodded after a moment's hesitation. He approached, kneeling down across from Hibiki to administer first aid. Miku noticed that throughout it all, Furuta couldn’t look at them. And aside from her initial request, Hibiki just ignored him, instead continuing to whisper comfortingly to Waki.

Less than thirty seconds later police, ambulance, and SONG cars pulled onto the school grounds, sirens flashing, the emergency personnel swarming over the grounds. The moment they passed Waki off to the paramedics, Furuta swiftly turned and fled. Miku felt a slight pang of satisfaction at that, in spite of everything.

Hibiki ignored him. Instead, she just worriedly watched the paramedics wheel Waki away on a stretcher. She gripped her fist tightly. Going after their families, hurting innocent people… how many people would the Horsemen hurt before they were stopped? How much lower would they stoop to accomplish their goals? 

How many people would she fail to save?

\----

**Next Chapter: **Oath Set Me Free

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, initially I was debating whether to have Hibiki’s grandmother’s heart give out from all the excitement this chappy. Then one of my betas went ‘Why not have her be a bit of an old badass?’ And I was like “I LOVE IT!” So thank them for that.


	14. Oath Set Me Free

Distortions  
Chapter 14:  
Oath Set Me Free

\----

When the Lamb had founded the Four Horsemen, he figured there would be defeats. Setbacks were inevitable in any war. And no one should go into a war expecting invincibility from their forces. Still, to experience two losses in the span of just one day? He did not expect to be put into a bind this quickly. The defeat at Panau was even more galling, as he had lost despite the care with which he had prepared for the battle. He had known how valuable the facility was to his plans, and he still lost it!

“They are not known as five-time saviors of the world for nothing,” He muttered to himself. Indeed, that was why they weren’t supposed to be involved.

The loss of Black Unit Facility 5-012 had blown a big hole in Black Unit’s production schedule. Red Unit was left scrambling to cover the gaps, moving resources away from lower-priority regions and projects. Even with the reallocations, they’d have to cut their East Asian operations after the planned strike in early August for at least a few weeks, possibly more. And those were just the short-term consequences. The schedule beyond the Sixth Seal was now looking at years-long delays because of this loss.

For a few moments, he considered recalling the White Noise members from their current assignments. Then he dismissed it. Bringing down the Sierra-Golfs may be the first priority, but hunting down the unactivated relics and relic fragments for destruction was a very close second.

Chiba was, in his eyes, the lesser loss. Unfortunate, but ultimately manageable. The Kohinatas and Tachibanas were only a means to apply pressure on the Sierra-Golfs. It would have been nice to have some greater leverage on them, but for the time being, they’d have to make due with the Virena boy they picked up in Val Verde. And even if they were able to gain more hostages, they couldn’t ensure the successful liquidation of the Sierra-Golfs until Project Sabin was completed. A loss on this front was nowhere near as damaging to his plans. And given the self-contained nature of Fifth Seal cells, the capture of Cells 107 and 108 shouldn’t endanger any of his bigger projects.

Then he paused to reconsider. Cell 108 would have been ordered to drop the Tachibanas off at one of the Tokyo facilities, hadn’t they? He checked the relevant Red Unit report on the incident. Yes, he was correct. Black Unit Facility 1-014 was in danger of being discovered by SONG if they managed to get its location out of the cell members.

Yes, he would have to recall the dispatched White Noise members after all. Or, more specifically, recall Voronin. His skills, along with Caprice who had not been deployed, would be quite necessary for ensuring the agents divulged as little information as possible, even accounting for the Fifth Seal’s more compartmentalized nature. There would inevitably be a time lag though, so the question of whether to abandon Facility 1-014 or not still loomed.

Ultimately, he ordered a low-priority evacuation of the facility. This way, he’d strike a nice balance between erring on the side of caution and minimizing disruption. SONG didn’t have that much experience in these sorts of live prisoner interrogations, he reasoned. So even if Voronin and Caprice fell through, the facility would be evacuated in time.

Still, he mused as he flipped to a separate Red Unit intelligence report, even in defeats one could find silver linings.

_Flash-Traffic, All PLA branches ordered to Maximum Peacetime Readiness.  
Chinese MSS agents instructed to make contact with TFH. Tentative Support Possibilities._

There was nothing like a scared superpower to spice up the geopolitical scene.

\----

“Its official name is the Ambient Phonic Gain Equalization Device, or APGED, but they appear to call it an ‘Apegear’.” Elfnein had brought the recovered blueprints up on her terminal.

It wasn’t a proper debrief, Tsubasa supposed. More like a… pre-debrief? Chris was blowing off steam in the training sims, now freshly updated to feature those ‘Automen’. The silver-haired girl was anxious that her two closest friends may now be orphans like she was and was working out that frustration in the training room. Tsubasa worried about that too, but in her case she also wanted to know more about what they had found. So, she met in the lab with Commander Ogawa and Elfnein to review what had been discovered.

“So this is what the White Noise use to match us?” Tsubasa asked, leaning over Elfnein’s shoulder.

Elfnein gave a short nod. “Like I thought, the phonic gain capture system is derivative from miniaturized versions of detection systems. Direct implantation assists with transference to the body. The set-up is remarkably clever, even if it’s useless without an active source of phonic gain.”

“Can you replicate it?” Ogawa’s concern was rather more practical.

“Eventually. Unfortunately, the files were damaged by the system scrub they had going. It answers the most important questions I had,” Elfnein indicated several points on the blueprint that seemed whited out. “But I still don’t know what sort of capacitors they would use here, here, and here. Testing materials and set-ups would take some time.”

Tsubasa glanced at the blueprints for a while before she finally asked. “How much did we manage to retrieve?”

“Tons,” Ogawa answered. “Although much of it was either damaged, incomplete, or useless. Not unusual, every organization generates its excess of useless paperwork. The biggest issue among the intact information is really encryption, which is taking a while to break even with the Americans assisting us with ECHELON.”

“What little we have been able to uncover is disconcerting, however.” Elfnein observed. “Even a glance at the data on the Horsemen’s research products shows they’re certainly dedicated to figuring out high technological means for the destruction of possible supernatural threats.” She shifted slightly uneasily. “Although… they also don’t seem to obey much in the way of ethical restraints. Take this one, labelled Project 31B102.” She brought up an image of what appeared to Tsubasa to be a classic virus.

“It’s an engineered virus, a gene-targeting bio-weapon.” Elfnein elaborated, “For most animals, humans included, it’s harmless. They just spread it as carriers. The exception is anyone who is a descendent of Finé. They’re who it was created to get rid of.”

“But Finé’s dead, in soul and body.” Tsubasa objected.

“What we’ve retrieved indicates that’s one of the reasons the Horsemen haven’t released the virus. They want a contingency in case she comes back somehow.” Ogawa’s voice was grim. “And their solution is the death of anyone she could possibly reincarnate within. They stole her genetic information from the old FiS databanks… and the kidnapped receptor children.”

“The missing receptor children?” Tsubasa asked in shock. “The Horsemen took them?” Oh god. How would Maria react to the news?

Elfnein paused at that, her expression falling. “Yes, they used them to cross-reference the stolen genetic information and as…” She hesitated, a disturbed look crossing her face.

Ogawa placed a comforting hand on her head. “They were also used as human test subjects for the 31B102 virus, to confirm its effectiveness. As were a series of clones derived from them. There was some video footage of the results. The symptoms were... not pleasant.”

Elfnein’s stare could easily pierce a thousand meters. “I couldn’t finish watching it. I thought I had already known the depths of human cruelty, but to believe the Horsemen would do _that _to innocent children…” She shuddered.

To her own surprise, Tsubasa hugged her. It took a few moments to even process that she was doing it and when she did, she immediately withdrew. “Ah! I’m sorry. That was improper of-”

“No, no…” Elfnein shook her head, actually looking a little better. “It was… nice. I needed it. Thank you, Tsubasa.”

“But getting back to the subject,” Oagawa continued. “They also tested the virus against clones of Maria, Tsukiyomi, and Akatsuki. The clones sourced from genetic material prior to when the Curse of Balal was destroyed suffered the exact same fate as the rest of the receptor children. But the immune systems of the clones sourced from genetic material **_after _**Balal was destroyed dealt with the virus almost immediately after it was introduced into their bodies.”

“What does this mean?” Tsubasa wondered aloud, although she already had a nasty suspicion.

And Elfnein confirmed it. “Sumphonia,” her gaze falling. “You wanted to be sure that… that it wasn’t just the Horsemen’s self-justification, Tsubasa.”

The alchemist turned to her terminal, bringing up a series of captured records. Over her shoulder, Tsubasa could see they possessed labels like ‘Project 13B545 Epidermis Tensile Strength Test #36-71’.

“Everything in the papers we recovered does indicate some physiological or biological change, assuming the experiments they conducted were indeed carried out in the way recorded.” Elfnein reeled off, “The tests they ran on the post-Balal clones do indicate consistent, measurable improvements to the ultimate tensile strength of tissue and bone, as well as the time it took to heal from injuries. However, the single most dramatic change they recorded was in the immune system.”

“It wasn’t just the 31B102 virus either.” Ogawa added. “They attempted to administer all sorts of diseases to the post-Balal clones. Viral, bacterial, parasitic… nothing caught.” He turned to look at Tsubasa. “And that reminded me, do you remember when was the last time you got sick?”

Tsubasa had to think hard to remember. “It would have been… back in January.” The week before that horrible concert. She had caught a mild cold, more irritating than anything else. Since then, though? Nothing. Not even the sniffles. Her mind moved onto trying to recall when the last time any of the others got sick. The only other one she could place was Shirabe coming down with a mild flu in November. Kirika and Maria had taken care of her. But since February? Not a single instance came to mind. Sure, it could have been coincidence; they all led healthy lifestyles. But experiments on biologically identical clones showing their immunity to diseases with near one-hundred percent mortality rates rather threw that out the window.

Tsubasa’s stomach sank. The clones’ immunity to those diseases alone would provide incontrovertible proof that post-Balal synchronization had changed the adaptors. That Elfnein was convinced of the veracity of the Horsemen’s scientific experiments seemed to seal the deal.

“Do we have any idea where it will end up?” She couldn’t keep a bit of the fear out of her voice. “Do you have any idea what we will… what we will be like when it’s over?”

Elfnein shook her head. “Not everything, not for sure. I can extrapolate a few things, given what information we have. They expect the improvements in terms of your growing resilience to continue and seem to indicate similar trends in things like strength, reflexes, agility…”

Tsubasa could draw the connection. “Basically our physical attributes will become more like when we are wearing our Symphogears. Superhuman.”

Elfnein nodded. “The accompanying data indicates the growth rate is exponential, so the changes may have started slow, but we can expect them to ramp up in the future. Fortunately, we also have some idea of the time-scale we’re looking at. The data suggests it’ll be a process of years until the transformation is complete.”

Well, that was a little bit of a relief. That left them with time to figure out some way to maybe stop or reverse it, although Tsubasa couldn’t fathom how. Maybe if it was their synchronization with the relics causing it then… no, they couldn’t possibly give the Horsemen exactly what they wanted.

“Anything else?” Ogawa asked. “Possible mental alterations? Changes to senses? Development of further supernatural abilities? How it might impact them when transformed?”

Elfnein shrugged, looking extremely apologetic. “I don’t know. That’s everything I can figure out with what we’ve retrieved.” Her brow furrowed. “Though thinking about it, perhaps this is also the reason behind the sudden rise of everyone's synchronization rates? The timing certainly fits.” She shook her head again. “I’d like to run some tests myself to confirm the data, make sure they check out. Although, there is one more question.”

She reached over and sorted through the papers next to her computer until she came to the same booklet that Tsubasa recognized from the lab. Flipping open to the front page, she read aloud. “‘According to the hypothesis advanced by Professor-108’.” She looked up. “Who is Professor-108, and how did he know about this when I didn’t?”

“The context of the other information retrieved from the facility seems to indicate he’s the leader of the Horsemen’s research and development division, the ‘Pale Unit’.” Ogawa answered. “Beyond that… we don’t know. The Horsemen are very rigorous in their use of codenames.”

Elfnein frowned. “Whoever he is, he’d have to be extremely knowledgeable about the Relics to be able to draw this sort of hypothesis, especially given how he didn’t have access to the originals.” She shook her head. “Which makes no sense, since all of the world’s foremost experts on this subject work for either one of the major governments or SONG. Normally, I’d guess he was an alchemist, but the Horsemen don’t make use of alchemy at all.”

“What about those androids? The, ah, ‘Automen’ I believe was the label we found.” Tsubasa asked. “It can’t be a coincidence they move like Autoscorers.”

“It isn’t,” Ogawa answered. “The search teams actually found some Autoscorer parts in the trash sections. The _Alchemical _parts of the Autoscorers that is. They were scheduled to be incinerated. The parts used in the Automen themselves? Entirely replicable with pure high technology.” He shot Tsubasa a significant look. “We identified them as bodies from the Château.”

_‘Ah,’ _Tsubasa thought. _‘So that’s what the Horsemen were doing there.’_

“It’s that sort of thing that makes me think it isn’t an alchemist,” muttered Elfnein. “If I were going to incorporate another person’s alchemy into my creations, I’d use as much as possible. The way they were going about making the Automen was deliberately wasteful, alchemically speaking. It appears that the Horsemen’s anti-supernatural ideology isn’t just a facade. They’re willing to bend it, but they won’t break it.”

Tsubasa frowned, racking her brain. “So we’re either looking at a Government scientist who slipped through the cracks, probably someone from the F.i.S, or a total unknown…”

They lapsed back into silence for several seconds until one last thing occurred to Tsubasa. “The clones I found… the ones of us. What will they do with them?”

“Since they are clones of you, they have been placed into SONG’s custody.” Ogawa answered. “As for what we will do with them… I don’t know yet. The most I can do is make arrangements for their transport and care back to Japan.”

An errant part of Tsubasa’s brain whispered to her that this meant there would be several picture perfect copies of Kanade and Maria literally lying around that she could do _anything_ she wanted with. She swiftly stabbed that thought with a mental sword and desperately repressed the blush that threatened to bloom across her face. It became easier when another, much more sobering thought crossed her mind.

“We…” The swordswoman hesitated. “We can’t tell the others. About Sumphonia. Not yet.”

Both Elfnein and Ogawa turned in surprise at that. “That’s impossible,” Elfnein objected when she finally processed the statement. “They’ll have to find out eventually. It may take years, but the changes will become impossible to miss.”

“But they are already going through so much.” Tsubasa’s voice was tight. “The Horsemen are pressuring us every chance they get. Akatsuki is constantly on the edge of self-destruction, and Tsukiyomi has her hands full trying to stabilize her. Yukine is weighed down by everything with the press, with Ayano, with her vendetta against Voronin! Kohinata and Tachibana might have just lost their parents! And Maria…” She shook her head. “Think of all the pressure they are under, and then think of how much more knowing _this _would add!”

Ogawa eyed her for the longest time before he replied. “You shouldn’t have to shoulder this burden alone, Tsubasa.”

“I won’t be.” She answered, giving them a small, yet unconvincing, smile. “After all, you two also know.”

Ogawa opened his mouth to reply that they weren’t as directly burdened by this like she was, but his communicator ringing preempted him. “Commander.” Fujitaka’s voice rang out. “We’re getting a call from Director Ogawa in Tokyo.”

“We’re on our way.” He replied. Elfnein sprang to her feet and Tsubasa turned for the door but paused as Ogawa laid a hand on her shoulder. “Tsubasa, I’ll hold off on telling Yukine for now. But they deserve to know. When we debrief in Japan, at the latest.”

Tsubasa bit her lip hesitantly, then finally she nodded. It would have to do.

—

Chris practically sprinted onto the bridge just seconds behind the trio’s arrival.

“How are they?!” Her voice was on the edge of panic. “Is everything okay?!”

Director Souji Ogawa calmly glanced at her from the main screen’s visual feed. “The Tachibanas and Kohinatas are fine. We’ve returned them to our main shoreside base.”

Both the silver-haired girl and Tsubasa visibly sagged with relief at the news. The bridge crew likewise all released the short breaths they were holding. Commander Ogawa simply gave a polite smile.

But Director Ogawa continued. “We’ve also managed to capture their would-be kidnappers.”

“Horsemen staples let themselves be taken alive?” Fujitaka asked in surprise.

“Staples?” Souji raised a slight eyebrow at the word.

Shinji quickly answered. “We’ve learned some of the names the Horsemen use. We’ll send you some details shortly. ‘Staples’ refer to the clone soldiers.”

“Ah,” Souji understood well enough. “No. Although there were some of those, they were all dealt with. Rather, we’ve captured ordinary human personnel. I’ll be interrogating them shortly.”

Chris raised a skeptical eyebrow. There were people who worked for the Horsemen willingly? Well, considering her experience as a kid in Val-Verde maybe she shouldn’t be too surprised. There really were all sorts. Shinji, on the other hand, had slightly different concerns. “Don’t go overboard on them. We need them to talk.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem.” Souji replied. “I think one of them should be easy enough.”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind if you punched one of ‘em.” Chris remarked casually. “You know, as a favor.”

“Yukine.” Tsubasa warned. She had hoped Chris’s bloodlust would die down now that the battle was over, but then the silver-haired girl did have a lot of reasons to be vicious towards the Horsemen. The Ichaival user simply raised her hands, as if to say ‘yeah, yeah’.

“Don’t worry. I already punched half of them when they were captured,” Souji replied with a straight face. “For the other half… well, Tachibana got two and her grandmother got the last one.”

There were a series of snorts from everyone, except Shinji who sighed instead. “Souji, you still have a terrible sense of humor.”

Souji just raised an eyebrow in confusion. But he wasn’t joking?

\----

Hibiki had barely stepped out of the helicopter after it touched down in the section of Port Yokosuka the JMSDF leased to SONG when a familiar blonde tackle-hugged her. Miku was likewise glomped by a certain twin-tailed haired girl.

“Hibiki! Miku!” Kirika cried, “We were so worried when we heard!”

“There, there,” Hibiki smiled fondly as she patted Kirika’s head. “We’re all okay.” Miku likewise returned Shirabe’s hug. At least for the moment, everyone was safe and no further harm was coming to anyone.

“Ah,” The hugs broke at the sound of Okamura’s voice, Matsura and her had remained silent for a few moments while they processed the scene. “You two were also at the press conference.”

“Mama, papa. These are Kirika Akatsuki and Shirabe Tsukuyomi.” Miku introduced the two girls. “They’re my friends and comrades at SONG.” She turned back to them. “Kirika, Shirabe, these are my mother and father, Okamura and Matsura Kohinata.”

“A pleasure to meet you!” The two youngest adaptors chorused together, bowing.

“Oh, no, the pleasure is all ours.” Okamura returned the bow. “Thank you for helping to take care of our daughter.” Matsura didn’t say anything, his face carefully neutral, but he also nodded in greetings. Okamura continued, “And Akatsuki, I’m glad to see you are looking better than you were on Monday.”

“Well, I always try to keep things upbeat. Whatever the case.” Akatsuki’s laugh sounded genuine enough, if you didn’t know her. For Shirabe, Miku, and Hibiki though, Okamura wasn’t wrong. Kirika _did _look, and sound, better, at least for the moment. Quietly, Shirabe slid her hand into Kirika’s own.

“Oka-chan!” A new, cheerful voice called out. The six turned to see Harumi Tachibana moving speedily towards them across the helipad, her hand waving frantically. Trailing slightly behind her, Akira Tachibana and Maria also walked across the helipad.

Okamura’s eyes lit up at the sight of her old friend. “Harumi! It’s been so long!”

“I know!” Harumi laughed. “The last time we saw each other was… what? A year now?”

Matsura eyed his own counterpart in the Tachibana family for a moment. Akira wanted to flinch under the man’s gaze; he had always found Miku’s father slightly intimidating. But he stood his ground and nodded in greeting instead. After a few moments of consideration, Matsura returned it, deciding he could afford to tolerate Akira for now. His attention then slid to Maria.

“Maria Cadenzavna Eve.” She greeted. “But I’m sure you knew that.”

“Yes.” Matsura grumbled, his eyes narrowing. “If I recall correctly, you assisted the man who kidnapped and brainwashed my daughter.”

Okamura opened her mouth to try and head off an argument, but Maria preempted her. “I did. And I’m sorry. It is one of many regretful things I did back then. Since I’ve joined SONG, Miku Kohinata has been nothing but a wonderful friend, for me, Kirika, and Shirabe. I owe too much to her, and to Hibiki Tachibana, to ever allow anything like that happen to them again.”

Matsura raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”

Maria met his gaze unblinkingly. “I have come to regard Hibiki and Miku as much a part of my family as Kirika and Shirabe. Or, for that matter, Tsubasa and Chris. For them, I would go through hell.”

To everyone's surprise, it was Akira who spoke next. “Kohinata-san, she is right. I have seen for myself how far these girls are willing to go for each other. I can vouch not just for Maria, but for Akatsuki, Tsukuyomi, Kazanari, and Yukine. If any of them are in danger, they will do whatever it takes.”

Matsura’s eyes remained narrow, although his face also became slightly contemplative. Trying to lighten the tension, Kirika piped up. “Maria is always worrying over all of us adaptors. She often feels like our Mom.”

“Oh-ho?” Okamura gave the pinkette a mischievous smile, following Kirika’s lead. “Trying to take our jobs from us?”

“T-that was never my intention!” Maria replies hurriedly, realizing only a moment too late that Okamura was teasing.

“Well, someone has to worry about Miku.” Harumi joined in. “Since I imagine _she’s_ too busy always worrying about Hibiki.”

“Moooom!” Hibiki blushed slightly. “First grandma, now you too?!”

“Hibiki’s always a handful.” Miku agreed, as if the chestnut haired girl hadn’t spoken.

The _almost _genuine look of betrayal Hibiki shot her girlfriend caused almost everyone else to laugh. Even Matsura’s face twisted into a smile.

“Perhaps we should continue things inside?” Akira suggested as the laughter died down, gesturing around at the helicopters and SONG personnel moving about, a few of whom were within earshot.

They headed back towards the living quarters of the base, the four youngest adaptors swiftly pulling ahead, the parents in the back, and Maria trailing just between the two groups.

Okamura glanced over at Harumi. “Is your mother here?”

“Mother’s taking a nap in the rooms SONG has prepared for us.” Harumi answered. “It was… quite an exciting day.”

“Exciting is one way to put it.” Matsura added, his mind going back to the terror he had felt for his wife and daughter as he had cowered in the corner of that crashed helicopter. Then the horrific sight of the mass of corpses of heavily armed men, their deaths at the hands of his daughter and her girlfriend… all in order to protect them. Wasn’t it supposed to be the job of the parents to protect their children and not the other way around?

“Our daughters…” Akira wistfully said. “They're incredible, aren’t they?”

Matsura eyed Akira. “You knew.”

Akira gave a wry smile. “When Hibiki briefly appeared on TV during the Frontier Incident I thought, ‘that couldn’t be Hibiki, could it?’ Then I ran into her and Miku while they were out shopping. And as I tried to reconnect with her, I couldn’t help but suspect that it had been Hibiki after all. I couldn’t help but marvel at how far she had come, becoming a better person than me. And that made me want to become better as well, so I could be worthy of being her father again.” He scratched his head awkwardly, not precisely sure how much detail he should go into. “Then she saved me. During the Magical Girl Incident, she transformed and saved me, together with her friends.”

He laughed awkwardly. “So, yeah. After watching my daughter and her friends stop the destruction of the world, demolishing an enormous army of Alca-Noise in the process, it was pretty much impossible for me **_not _**to know.” Akira’s gaze fell upon Hibiki, chatting happily away with Kirika, and filled with pride.

Matsura glanced between Akira, Hibiki, and his own daughter. His mind once again wandered back to the mass of shredded corpses left on the school field. Saving the world, sure. Fighting Noise or Alca-Noise? He could get having pride in that. But the utter slaughter he had witnessed today…

He looked at Maria. “Where is Director Ogawa? We still need to discuss Miku’s future in SONG.”

Maria sent Miku’s father an apologetic look as the group pushed into the building. “I’m sorry, but Director Ogawa is dealing with the aftermath of the attack. As the eldest adaptor available, I’ll be standing in for him for that conversation.”

“Weren’t there two more of you?” Harumi asked. “Kazanari and Yukine, I believe? We haven’t met them…”

“Tsubasa and Chris are out on a mission overseas.” Maria replied, ushering the group into a living room with a trio of extensive sofas. The doors to several concert rooms, none in use, dotted the walls. “It’s why the commander is also not available to meet you. I’m sure they desperately regret not being able to be here.”

“Then I think this meeting has been held off long enough.” Matsura said, indicating one of the conference rooms.

Maria nodded, turning to the younger adaptors. “Kirika, Shirabe. I’m afraid you’ll have to remain out here.”

“But we want to support Miku and Hibiki!” Kirika replied. Next to her, Shirabe nodded emphatically.

“We know you support us, Kirika, Shirabe.” Miku answered them gently. “And we are always grateful.” She drew herself up, turning to Hibiki and their families. “But this is something we have to settle between us and our parents.”

The Zababa couple glanced at each other with uncertainty, before obediently turning to take their seats at the couch. Maria cast a long eye towards them as the rest filtered into the conference room before she herself entered, closing the door behind her. She doubted they’d be able to keep to themselves during the meeting.

They took their seats. Maria sitting at the front of the conference table while the Tachibanas and Kohinatas sat across from each other. Miku and Hibiki sat next to one another, on the Tachibana side.

“I have serious reservations about Miku continuing to be a part of SONG.” Matsura began. “I see no reason why a teenage girl should be forced into an adult role. I see no reason why Miku would have to do the kinds of things she did today.” The scene of his daughter standing before him, bullets - aimed as much at her as at them - ricocheting off that shield-mirror-thing she had held out to guard them, flashed through his mind.

“Papa.” Miku spoke up, fear leaking into her voice. “You aren’t scared of me, are you? Or Hibiki?”

The instant she picked up on her girlfriend’s distress, Hibiki had slid even closer to Miku and wrapped an arm around the black-haired girl. For his part, Matsura sighed and sat back, rubbing at his temples in clear worry. “No, Miku. I could never be afraid of you.” He frowned again, “But I am afraid _for _you. Being a part of this has made you into a killer, even if it was for our sake. It has made you into a target.”

Miku winced, even as Hibiki’s embrace on her tightened. The Shenshoujing user knew her father couldn't have been referring to the deaths she inflicted during the Frontier Incident, but it was where her mind went too nonetheless.

“I’m afraid she will still be a target even if she leaves SONG.” Maria interjected, her voice deathly serious. “As will you. The Horsemen hate us because we have used our Symphogears. From what we have learned of their ideology and attitudes, they feel the fact Miku Kohinata _ever _wielded the Shenshoujing is reason enough for her death. Killing you is merely a means towards killing her. Believe me, Kohinata-san: even if she leaves SONG, they will not spare her or you.” She shook her head. “The fact is, being a part of SONG is the safest place she could be, so long as the Horsemen are at large.”

“Matsura.” Okamura added. She had made up her mind, on the way here and now she decided to chip in her few cents. “I’m not entirely comfortable with it either. But Miku will be eighteen in just a few months. She is practically an adult. She can make her own choices.” She looked over at Hibiki, clearly approving that the Gungnir user was doing her best to comfort her daughter. “Not to mention, it would be impossible for her to stay out of SONG’s business and continue to be with Hibiki or her friends at the same time.”

Matsura considered the points Maria and Okamura had laid out. He wanted to argue against it, to muster up some key argument as to why his daughter shouldn’t have to fight, to kill, and to be at risk of being killed. But he couldn’t. Maria’s own logic was airtight. The Horsemen would come after them regardless and that meant Miku was safest with those who would also be willing to lay down their lives for her and each other. Matsura wasn’t entirely convinced on that latter point, Hibiki excepted, but he was certainly a lot more convinced than before he had heard Maria’s proclamation out on the helipads.

But his contemplation was interrupted by Harumi. “You don’t like it, do you?”

Hibiki shifted uncomfortably at that. She could guess what her mother would say, she had heard it before, when her father and her had first explained that she was a Symphogear adaptor. Without looking at her, Matsura shook his head. “How could I?”

“I didn’t either.” Harumi replied. At that, Matsura’s head came around in surprise. She continued on. “My daughter chose to give so much of herself to the world, a world that, save for Miku, had refused to return the favor.” Matsura and Akira both winced in spite of themselves, aware that they had contributed to that. “How could I like that? And yet…”

Harumi looked over at Hibiki and smiled the sort of reassuring, loving smiles that only a mother could give to her daughter. “I understand. It was her choice.” She looked first to Miku, then to Maria, and finally to Akira. “It was a choice that brought her happiness, despite the hardship and pain she suffered going through it.” Her attention finally returned to Matsura. “I don’t like it. But I can’t argue against it.”

Matsura stared back at her for the longest time before he sighed, a small smile crossing his face. “I guess I can’t either.” He looked at his daughter. “Miku… the choice to remain at SONG is yours. I know what decision you will make, but please, try to be as safe as you can.”

“I will, papa.” Miku reassured him.

“Don’t worry, Kohin-ah, Matsura.” Hibiki piped up, giving Miku another squeeze. “I’ll do my best to protect her.”

“She will.” Maria agreed. “And so will any one of us adaptors. Speaking of which,” Her voice rose, taking on a note of humor. “With that settled, I suppose Shirabe and Kirika can stop trying to eavesdrop through the conference room door!”

There were two simultaneous yelps of surprise followed by the noise of two people falling over just outside. Shaking her head in amusement, Maria stood up. “I suppose we should adjourn to the living room, to relax with them.”

As the others nodded and began to pick themselves up, the pinkette swiftly crossed the room and threw open the door to reveal Kirika and Shirabe just picking themselves back up off the floor.

“It’s about time you finished up there.” Koyomi Tachibana called from the couch across the room. She nodded towards the Zababa duo. “Even if these two dears were entertainment enough for an old lady.” She sighed wistfully. “Ah, to be young again.”

“Grandma!” Hibiki bounded forward enthusiastically. “You’re up!”

“Sleep well, mother?” Harumi asked, as she stepped back into the room. She wasn’t at all surprised to see her mother up and about.

Koyomi shrugged indifferently, glancing over to Okamura and Matsura instead. “Kohinata. It’s been awhile.” Without waiting for them to reply her eyes drifted down to Miku, hurriedly following after Hibiki who had plopped down on the other end of the couch. “And Miku, sit with us, dear.”

Miku hesitated a moment, but Koyomi’s eyes had nothing but kindness in them. A kindness that reminded her more than a little bit of Hibiki. Not as much as Harumi’s eyes could, but enough.

“You know.” Koyomi said to the black haired girl. “I suspected Hibiki would wind up telling the world she was with you before she told us. Looks like I was right about that. Now, since you are part of the family, I suppose we should be discussing welcoming gifts…”

“Grandma!” Hibiki groaned, throwing her hand over her face. “We’re not married yet!”

“You might as well be!” Koyomi replied, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “But when you do come of age, don’t wait too long to pop the question. I want to be able to see Hibiki in a wedding dress before I die. Or a suit. Whichever she prefers.”

Both Hibiki and Miku flushed. Hibiki because of the frank embarrassment of her grandmother doting over them in such a manner. Miku because she was now thinking of Hibiki in a wedding dress right alongside Hibiki in a suit, and couldn’t decide which she wanted to see more.

In thought, Shirabe turned to Kirika. “Hey, Kiri-chan. If we get married, do you want to wear a dress or suit?”

Kirika gaped like a fish at the question. “Shi-Shirabe! That’s so… so…” A vision of her and Shirabe, up before the altar, flashed in her mind. Shirabe in a suit. Shirabe in a dress. Herself in a suit. Herself in a dress. Like steam being released from a valve, all she could finally reply with was a high-pitched “Dess!”

The adults in the room chuckled as Kirika’s face turned red with embarrassment. Akira probably laughed the hardest, shaking his head. Marriage, huh? It probably was still too early for these kids to be contemplating that. Marriage…

With a jolt, he abruptly remembered what their kidnapping had interrupted. For a moment, he hesitated: This wasn’t supposed to happen in front of the others. But then, he resolved himself. What did it matter? “Harumi, I have something I’d like to say to you. It’s what I was going to say earlier, before all this excitement happened.”

Harumi, still smiling brilliantly from the room’s good cheer, turned to Akira. “What is it?”

The earlier nervousness Akira had felt earlier swelled up, but he clamped down on it. Now, more than ever, he needed to go ahead with his plan of action. He had even bought a new ring, dammit! “Well,” he began. “All of the excitement today has got me thinking about a lot of things. Mostly about the past, but also about the future.”

He gulped. “Being held at gunpoint brought to the forefront a lot of what’s been going on in the back of my mind for the past year or so. Ever since Hibiki brought us back together, I’ve been thinking about all the mistakes I made. How I let my own suffering overwhelm me. How I wallowed in my own selfishness without considering how much you were suffering. How I abandoned my family when they needed me most. Let me tell you, when I was on the floor with a gun to my head, I realized how foolish I was back then. Because all my thoughts were about you: how I would leave you behind without making up for all my past mistakes, how I would leave you alone again, and how I would never get to tell you how much I feel about you.”

He knelt before Harumi, whose eyes lit up. “Akira…” she whispered, a slight blush on her face. But he paid no heed. He needed to do this. For Hibiki and for the both of them.

“After I separated from you, I was dead inside. I was only going through the motions, longing for even a fraction of the fame and wealth I had at the peak of my career. I thought that _that _was what had made my life before so good. I was wrong. It was you. You were the light of my life, the source of my happiness and warmth. And after today, I see only one path forward.”

The entire room’s attention was riveted on the pair now, but Akira didn’t notice. He had worked himself up such that it just seemed to be Harumi and him now. “Haru!” He pulled out the ring, presenting it to his ex-wife and said the seven words. “I want to be with you again!”

Dumb silence lingered over the room. Everyone stared in shock, save for Koyomi who was leaning forward in anticipation. Harumi herself had clamped her hand over her mouth, tears of astonishment pricking at her eyes.

A second passed. Then one more.

“Yes.” Hibiki’s mother finally replied. “Yes, I do too!” And without giving Akira any time to react, she threw herself forward, wrapping her husband in the biggest hug she could manage.

With an inarticulate shout of joy, Hibiki came to her feet and rushed forward to throw her arms around her father and mother’s necks, the biggest smile on her face since Miku had confessed her feelings to her in February. Miku followed more calmly, gently laying a hand across Hibiki’s back. Kirika shot to her feet, clapping loudly, Shirabe following in a slightly more sedate matter. Okamura and Matsura exchanged a glance before they too began clapping.

Koyomi just leaned back, nodding in satisfaction. Maria glanced at the old lady curiously, before she also joined in the applause. As it began to die down, she checked the clock and stood up.

“Maria?” Shirabe called, noticing the movement. “Where are you going?”

“I have to check in with Director Ogawa and inform him that Miku will be staying with us, among other things.“ Maria answered. “I won’t be too long.” She glanced at Akira and Harumi, who were just now coming apart, “Congratulations.”

At the door, Maria paused to cast one last look at the celebrating group. Hibiki might insist that a family could not be fixed easily, the pinkette mused, but that wasn’t the same as saying it couldn’t be fixed at all.

—

“Ken Shibuya.” Souji Ogawa began, unblinkingly staring down the driver of the group who had tried to kidnap the Tachibanas. “Interesting tale you told, about being a street racer before you cleaned up. Wasn’t a total lie either. Only the bit where you worked for SONG.”

“The best lies are often rooted in the truth,” Shibuya replied simply. The man still showed some of his shock from encountering a Symphogear at close range, but otherwise he seemed confident enough. However, Ogawa knew he’d be the weakest link in the entire chain. A simple background check and only a little follow-up was enough to tell him that.

“You are aware of how much trouble you are in, correct?” Souji asked.

“Of course, I accepted the job knowing that.” Shibuya shrugged. “The Horsemen were convincing.”

“Oh? About the relics?”

“Eh, kinda. But the relics are only a piece of the puzzle.” Shibuya waggled his hands, as best he could given the cuffs. “Same with the Custodians, if they’re still out there, and any remaining Alchemists. They have to get their piece too, and the Horsemen assured me they have people working on it. But my job wasn’t to be concerned with that.“

“Just the adaptors?”

“Well, the parents of that one, specifically. Tachibana.” Shibuya leaned back, showing some signs of discomfort. “I’ll admit, meeting one of your little attack godlings face-to-face was the most terrifying experience of my life.”

Ogawa’s head tilted. “Godling?”

“Yeah. Don’t tell me you don’t know. You’re SONG. You’re the ones who practically made these girls. You gotta know.” Shibuya squinted challengingly at Ogawa. “So, what’s your plan? You going to intimidate me with Little Miss Punchy?”

Ogawa didn’t know what the man was talking about. But he also knew arguing that probably wasn’t going to be productive, at least not yet. “You’re not going to have to worry about me bringing an angry Tachibana in here.” He wasn’t sure if Hibiki was capable of maintaining a grudge, based on what he knew of the girl. Then again, no one had ever threatened her family in such a premeditated manner. Ogawa did have it filed as something of his… well, probably ‘Plan O’ at the moment. “I don’t anticipate that will be necessary.”

“Great.” In spite of his attempts to hide it, Shibuya definitely looked relieved at that. “Look, our job was just to monitor the family until we got further orders.”

“You attempted to kidnap them.” Ogawa pointed out. “I wouldn’t consider that ‘just monitoring’.”

“Yeah, well…” The driver shrugged. “Obviously, we got further orders.”

“And those orders were to kidnap them and deliver them to a specific location.”

“Yep.” A simple nod.

“And that location is…?”

Shibuya looked at him in disbelief. “What, do I look like I’m stupid?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say you’re stupid. At least, not when it comes to your street smarts. Your police file was quite clear on that.” Ogawa made a show of flipping open the folder and scanning the contents. “But I am not convinced that you did this just because you buy into what they told you.”

“Oh?”

“Well, I **_do _**find it quite interesting how an anonymous donor about two months ago decided to finance a certain Rin Shibuya’s surgery.” Ogawa watched the man carefully. To his credit, Shibuya didn’t react that much. He was obviously expecting that to come up.

“Nice job. Yeah, the Horsemen helped my daughter,” Shibuya said evenly. “So of course I felt I owed them enough to give them a listen. And let me tell you, the idea of leaving her behind in a world with _them_? Given what _they’ll _become?” He scowled. “Humanity barely survived Shem-Ha. Don’t you fucking remember _that?_ How it felt?! Multiply that by seven, and that’s what we’re looking forward to if we don’t succeed! Otherwise, Rin doesn’t have a future as anything more than a slave, if we’re _lucky_!”

Ogawa could piece together what the Horsemen had told Shibuya. Definitely something to probe about later. Still, it wasn’t the information he wanted. “You know what the ones who were looking after Kohinata did?”

“Hell no! My cell’s job was to keep track of the freak’s parents, not her equally-freaky girlfriend’s parents.” Shibuya shrugged. “If there were people doing that, we didn’t know about them.”

“They were ordered to kill them.” Ogawa answered.

“Ah.” Shibuya shifted slightly. Barely perceptible, but Ogawa knew how to read people.

“You seem surprised?”

“Nah, not really.” But Shibuya looked away, not meeting Ogawa’s eyes. “Not something I thought about much. I mean, it makes sense in a strategic way. We had our own orders to kill the Tachibanas if we couldn’t manage to get away with them.”

Ogawa raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Your colleague didn’t go through with that.”

“Yeah, I can’t say about Ko-I mean, K’s reasons for sure, but I imagine the dad being the only thing between K and an angry god-in-waiting had something to do with it.” Shibuya looked thoughtful. “Does make me wonder: will she still care about him in the end, or will he already be dead by the time it’s over? Assuming the Horsemen don’t kill her first, of course.”

Ogawa decided to ignore that in favor of continuing his own line of questioning. “Your daughter. She’s in junior high, right?”

Shibuya looked at him sharply. “You threatening her? You _can’t _be threatening her. She doesn’t know anything about this.”

“Unlike the Horsemen,” Ogawa answered, adding more steel to his voice. “I would never even think to hurt an innocent thirteen year old.”

Shibuya blinked at him, clearly not getting it. “What?”

Ogawa reached into the folder and took out a photo of one of the girls who died at the middle school, sliding it across the table. “Katsuko Ebisawa. Age thirteen. Member of her track team. She was caught in the crossfire at her school by the Horsemen assault team trying to kill Kohinata’s parents. One of nine who died so far. If not for Kohinata, the number would have easily been hundreds.”

Ogawa waited patiently as Shibuya stared at the image for a long, _long _time, his face unreadable.

“She looks like Rin.” It was when Shibuya muttered that, low enough that he probably thought the Ninja across from him couldn’t hear, Ogawa knew he had him. Still, it wouldn’t do to push.

“I… I only have an address name,” Shibuya said finally. “I’ve never been to this place before. Hell, before we got the orders, I’d never even heard of it. The Fifth Seal - that’s who we are, we’re the HUMINT element of the Horsemen - is cell based. We know almost nothing outside of what our cell is given, and each cell operates on a need-to-know basis, so I don’t have much more than that. Hell, our cell wasn’t even responsible for setting up the bugs, just monitoring them.”

“That will do,” Ogawa answered, clicking open a pen to record it.

Twenty seconds later, he stepped out of the interrogation room, a sheet of paper in his hand. He turned to one of the two SONG agents standing guard outside the door. “Pull everything you can on this address. And send a request to the Japanese government for permission to investigate it, _discreetly_.”

The Agent nodded, taking the paper and quickly walking off. With the important part out of the way, Ogawa turned to go back in, figuring he could now get the story on that whole ‘the adaptors are becoming gods’ spiel Shibuya seemed to believe.

\----

**Next Chapter: **Watching Over Me

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a breather chapter, before we move towards more action next chapter.
> 
> Also, who do you think would look better in a suit: Shirabe or Kirika? Or maybe both? I could see them both at least pulling it off. Miku could also probably manage a suit (in fact, I've seen some images where she does manage a suit), but the consensus seems to be that Hibiki flat out looks better in one: there’s apparently even an XDU event featuring it. Tsubasa and Maria are no brainers (they outright wear suits in the series). Chris in a suit… hmm, I mean, my gut instinct is that it just doesn’t feel like her style.
> 
> Also, mystery Symphogear announcement on Christmas Eve! What could it be? Symphogear Live 2020? Movie? Season 6? Hibiki and Miku’s wedding date? They actually managed to create a Real Life Symphogear?!
> 
> Eh, let’s not kid ourselves: it's probably Symphogear Live.


	15. Watching Over Me

Distortions  
Chapter 15:  
Watching Over Me

\----

“Another facility?” Shinji Ogawa asked. He had received a call from his brother while working in his office.

“Yes.” Souji answered. “We already have the address and location of another Horsemen facility.”

“Good. Unlike Panau, we won’t have to wrestle with the Security Council. We have Japan’s full permission to operate within its territory so long as we give them a minimum heads-up.” Shinji nodded gravely. “Whatever action you feel is necessary against the facility, do it.”

“I’m already working on a plan.” Souji replied. “However, there is one other thing; while I was interrogating one of the prisoners, he told me he was recruited under the impression the adaptors will turn into creatures like Shem-Ha, like the Custodians.”

Souji expected Shinji to react with complete surprise and denial. He expected his little brother to dismiss it as far-fetched nonsense based purely on duplicity. Souji did **_not _**expect Shinji to shift uncomfortably in his seat. Though the elder Ogawa brother barely showed any of it, alarm bells began to ring in his head. “Shinji, what-”

“This isn’t something we can discuss over the line, _nii_-san.” Shinji actually cut him off. “Suffice to say, we have discovered there is at least a grain of truth in that belief, but we are not convinced it is the _whole _truth.” At least, Shinji hoped that was the case. It had to be the case. He refused to consider the possibility the Horsemen were telling the whole truth. Because if they were… “We intend to give the matter a thorough briefing when we return home. Until then, please don’t mention it to the girls. I promised Tsubasa we would keep it from them until we’ve returned home.”

It took a few moments for Souji to recover from the shock of Shinji cutting him off, although anyone who didn’t know him would think he was just contemplating what his younger brother had said. Never, in their entire history together, had that happened. For that reason alone, he let it slide; if Shinji was willing to cut him off, it had to be important. “I see. In that case, could you patch me through to the head researcher?”

Ogawa blinked in confusion. “Elfnein? Why?”

“I have some questions to ask about the Shenshoujing.”

\----

The address Ken Shibuya had given lay on the western extremities of Tokyo, nestled in a valley just at the southeastern base of Gozenyama. The company that owned it was officially listed as a domestic robotics producer, but a covert inspection of its records showed that the facility was the company’s only real asset, just like in Panau. Additionally, it had been located above an area where one of Yggdrasil’s trunks had breached the surface.

From the satellite photos of the place, Souji and the homebound adaptors couldn’t see anything like the sort of heavy industrial complexes that had characterized the Panau plant. There were still warehouses, manufacturing structures, and several loading bays, but in vastly smaller numbers. The facility on the whole was undoubtedly much smaller and likely much more specialized. There were no obvious bunker entrances that the satellite could spot.

Souji had spent the entire evening and well into the night researching the location and formulating a plan. While he worked, he had let the adaptors hang easy with Miku and Hibiki’s families, letting them get settled in and familiar with each other.

But in the morning, after breakfast, he had pulled Miku aside for some special training and instruction. The Shenshoujing had unparalleled stealth capabilities, and Souji Ogawa hoped to use those abilities to their fullest. There would be no surprises this time. A single morning wasn’t as much time as Souji would have liked, but he knew they had to act fast. The longer they waited, the more time the Horsemen would have to react to the capture of their agents. He was pleased by how seriously Miku took the training, and even though he wanted her to get more, he judged her adequate enough for the task.

After lunch, they departed. But the helicopter looped north, avoiding the facility and taking them up to a town called Okutma. There, a waiting SONG van crammed full of electronics drove them up the mountain road until they were most of the way up the northern face of Mount Gozenyama.

They couldn’t see the facility from where they were parked at the moment, as the summit of Gozenyama was in the way. But the five adaptors knew that if they were to transform and leap far away enough off the cliffside to their left, they would be able to _just _make out the mountain valley it was in.

Director Ogawa ran through the final checks while the girls sat in the back. “Once Kohinata signals that she’s in position, we’ll begin the main assault. We will be improvising there based on what she manages to discover. Tachibana, Tsukuyomi, Akatsuki, you will be making the main charge. Maria, you will be in reserve.”

Maria nodded. She could guess he made that decision based on her breakdown two days ago. She felt as if she needed just one more day to get through it. In the meantime, it would be foolish to object. She would not let her hesitation on this matter hold them back.

“Kohinata, your part of the mission starts in five minutes.” Director Ogawa added. “The rest of you are on standby. If you want to watch Kohinata with me, that’s fine too. Any questions?” There were none.

“Good.” Souji finished. “Be ready.”

At the dismissal, Miku and Hibiki exchanged glances before hopping out through the truck’s side door and walking side by side towards the cliffside. Miku took a deep breath of mountain air as she looked off towards the adjacent peak of Mount Odake.

“You know,” Hibiki began next to her, “We passed a bunch of hot springs resorts on the way up here. Maybe we can visit one afterwards.”

“Mmm.” Miku replied absently, letting the conversation stall for a moment. She thought about her past performance and kept finding herself wanting. Maybe it had been her inexperience. Maybe it had been her nerves. Well, _this _time would be different, the black haired girl thought. She had spent the whole morning preparing for this. She had been briefed. She was ready, readier then she had been any other time. And most of all, she had her friends behind her. She would do it this time. She felt confident.

“Miku.” At the sound of her name, Miku turned to Hibiki. The chestnut-haired girl shifted on her feet somewhat. “If you get in trouble, I’ll be there as fast as I can. But please don’t do anything reckless.”

Miku contemplated the request for a moment before giggling. “Funny. I remember when it used to be the other way around.”

“Huh?” Hibiki thought over what she said for a moment, then joined Miku in giggling. ”Yeah, you’re right. I guess this is something like how I made you feel all the time back then, huh?”

Miku smiled, taking Hibiki’s hand. “If you understand that now, then next time you have to go out on your own, you won’t try to do anything reckless yourself?”

Hibiki returned the smile. “Well if you try this time, then I will too!”

“It’s a promise, then.”

On cue, their communicators crackled. Director Ogawa’s voice came through. “It’s time. Commence the operation.”

Hibiki didn’t hesitate for a moment at that. She leaned forward and gave Miku a quick peck on the lips. “Good luck. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Miku replied, squeezing Hibiki’s hand one last time before letting go and turning towards the cliffside. As Hibiki climbed back into the van, Miku reached up to grip her pendant and sang.

_“Rei Shenshoujing rei zizzl.”_

—

The mountain valley the facility was located made the southeastern approach via road the only practical way in and out. The northwestern approach was flat-out impassable thanks to Mount Gozenyama. The other six cardinal directions were technically possible by foot but extremely difficult due to the tangled woodlands and sloped surfaces. Any individual would have to spend considerable time making the approach and be positively exhausted by the time they arrived.

Of course, if one could just hover over it all with Ionocraft modules attached to their legs, then they could avoid that problem. Miku approached the facility with no fear of detection. **_Wizard Stealth_** rendered her completely undetectable to all forms of sensors, active and passive, which was why she had entered it the moment she transformed. Only extremely sensitive auditory sensors had any chance of hearing her, and even then, the distortions caused by the Shenshoujing meant they couldn’t accurately pinpoint her so long as she remained below certain thresholds. She couldn’t attack, but that didn’t matter for phase one of the plan.

Miku was more than comforted by the thought that her friends were still indirectly with her. They could see what she saw, after all. Elfnein may have been away, but a healthy portion of her technical team had stayed behind. At Souji’s request, they had done a simple modification to the Shenshoujing’s combinations that allowed it to project a visual feed. The camera wasn’t actually visible anywhere, but she had been informed that it was located in her gear’s right ‘horn’ based on the feed.

She still didn’t understand how relics worked.

Even with the demands of silence forcing her to keep the Ionocraft modules power down, Miku swiftly reached the facility’s entrance. A reinforced traffic arm and adjacent guard post constituted the gate. A bored looking security guard in the latter was reading some book with his feet propped up on the desk. Obviously not a staple. Miku momentarily wondered if he even knew who exactly he was really working for. The guard, of course, didn’t even glance up at her as she hovered invisibly right by his post and looped through the gap between the traffic arm and the razor wire fence marking the perimeter.

—

[Alert: Black Unit Facility 1-014 Auditory Sensors Tripped]  
[Analyzing…]  
[ERROR: Cannot Verify, Further Analysis Underway...]

[Other Sensors Negative Verification, Negative Visual Verification]  
[Objection: HVT Sierra-7-Actual Possess Known Supernatural Stealth Capability]  
[Cross-Referencing. Cross-Reference Data Incomplete. Estimated Chance of HVT Sierra-7-Actual: 16.87%]

[Preliminary Analysis: Geological Ultrasound Event, No Immediate Action Necessary]

[Analysis Refinement Ongoing]

—

“Kohinata.” Director Ogawa’s voice crackled quietly in her ear. “Can you hear me?”

Miku didn’t say anything but merely clicked her communicator once, as she had been instructed.

“Good. Proceed as planned, I’ll contact you if any specific instructions are necessary.”

As she floated through the complex, an errant part of Miku entertained the idea that she should probably adopt an eyepatch and bandana like that old video game character Yumi liked. Then again, her stealth approach was rather the opposite of his. Rather than skulking around in closed areas, she stuck to the wide open spaces. She was invisible, not intangible, meaning she couldn’t afford to encounter any base personnel in close confines where she might bump into them. Keeping plenty of space around her was necessary for her to exploit her Symphogear-granted reflexes and the Ionocraft’s maneuverability to avoid making physical contact with any personnel she saw roaming the base.

These limitations also meant Miku couldn’t afford to go inside any of the structures, but she could do things like peer through windows and any entryways left open, particularly large ones. With only a modest increase to her Ionocraft’s power, still below the auditory threshold, she could even boost herself up and over a few stories to get on and off upper accessways or some of the lower rooftops. She filed away a few potential spots she saw for later, keeping in mind Souji’s advice from the morning.

Initially, the only personnel she saw were orange-suited workers, moving from one structure to another to complete some sort of menial task. But it didn’t take long for her to spot the first staple patrols, clad fully in their masks, goggles, and dark tactical combat gear, slightly further in. Miku noted that they were always patrolling in multiples of three, up to squads of twelve. It took quite a bit longer before she spotted one squad with three taller and bulkier figures, clad in a dull silver armor and several layers of kevlar fibers, yet carrying no obviously visible weapons. Then she realized their glowing red sensor headsets weren’t masks at all, but heads. Those must be the Automen she had heard about, the androids Tsubasa and Chris had encountered in Panau. Glancing into entryways mostly revealed warehouses filled with shipping crates, but on one occasion, she chanced a look through a garage door and beheld a small motor pool of Horsemen battle tanks and personnel carriers.

Miku slid around the corner of another building and beheld two helipads, one larger than the other. Two VTOLs were parked on each one: a large, quad engine transport on the larger pad and a more compact, twin engine design on the smaller one. The large one’s engines were completely off, and service robots overseen by a few workers travelled back and forth to carry crates from a nearby stack into its back. But the smaller VTOL was emitting an unmistakable hum that indicated its engines were on yet idle. Miku angled towards it, both to avoid the stream of robots and to hide whatever potential sounds she might make using the VTOL’s engines as cover.

“Smaller one looks like a personnel transport, possibly for somebody important.” Souji mused in Miku’s ear. “Engines are on, so they are likely to be leaving soon.”

The black-haired girl took a moment to get her bearings. The building on the far side of the helipads from where she arrived looked different from the rest: less brick-and-concrete like a factory or warehouse, more glass like an office building. She drifted across towards one of the windows by a door but quickly stopped as a trio of figures, radically different from any of the others she had seen so far, stepped out through the building’s front door.

Instead of the combat gear of the staples or the orange vests of work crews, two of the figures wore long white lab coats. The first, clearly the superior of the two by her demeanour, was a young caucasian woman in her early-twenties. Long indigo hair cascaded down to her waist, and she possessed wide lilac eyes that nevertheless were filled with a severity beyond her apparent age. The second figure, a step behind and his eyes on an electronic smartpad, was a balding man in his late-thirties.

The third figure was a dog. Not one of flesh and blood, but a robot dog, clad in black metal and with four eyes. Yet despite its obviously robotic appearance, its movements were flawlessly dog-like. Miku found the combination sent her into the uncanny valley. From the way he glanced at it occasionally, the man must have been equally perturbed by it. The robo-dog stuck close to the woman’s heels, in much the same way one would expect any dog to follow their master.

“-oncept twos are in an acceptable state now that we’ve solved the ammo feed problem.” The woman was saying as she exited the building.

—

“That woman.” Maria breathed, leaning forward suddenly over Souji’s shoulder to inspect the the camera feed more closely. “I know her. Where do I know her from?”

“You too, Maria?” Shirabe spoke up. “She seems familiar to us too.”

Kirika nodded, her eyes glued to the camera as she tried to place where she had seen that woman.

Hibiki scratched her head, “I… umm, I don’t recognize her at all.”

“Kohinata.” Souji requested into the communicator. “Follow that woman, keep her in earshot.” If she seemed familiar to three of the adaptors, then she was definitely of interest to them. He waited for the single click of Miku’s acknowledgement before he glanced up at Maria. “Someone from the FIS? The orphanage?”

“No…” Kirika began, but then paused and frowned. “Maybe? I don’t remember seeing someone like her there, but she definitely looks _really _familiar.”

—

“The concept threes are a stupid design, they should be scrapped.” The woman continued, walking towards the smaller VTOL as her compatriot tapped away. Miku followed a few dozen feet behind her. “The concept fours are also stupid, but they work, so they should be kept. And the concept fives…” She came to an abrupt halt. Her robot dog immediately followed suit and sat down like an attentive greyhound. The man at her side took a few additional steps, carrying him slightly ahead, before he noticed his companion had come to a halt and turned back towards her.

“Who came up with the concept fives?” She asked after a moment.

The man checked his pad. “Professor Forr-”

“We’re outside.” The woman snapped. “Codenames only.”

“My apologies, Professor-One-Forty-Five. I believe the concept fives were Professor-Seven-Twenty-Two’s idea, according to Red Unit.”

“Ugh, that moron.” ‘Professor-145’ muttered distastefully, resuming her walk. “If only we liquidated people for bad engineering. **_Strongly _**recommend they be scrapped. The concept sixes seem adequate enough.” She glanced over at the larger VTOL transport. “What’s going on there?”

The man glanced over for a moment before returning his attention to the pad. “There’s been a potential security breach. A low-priority evacuation been ordered.”

“I see.”

They were getting close to the small VTOL, so Miku closed the distance a little to better hear the two scientists over the growing sound of the engine.

Abruptly the robot dog stopped, head whipping around to point straight at Miku. The Shenshoujing user froze, thinking for a moment that it might have had some special sensor or something. But then it tilted its head slightly in the universal canine expression of confusion.

Professor-145 didn’t fail to notice her pseudo-canine companion’s behavior. She turned to glance down at the dog, before following its gaze to look towards Miku. The black-haired girl tensed as the woman’s eyes alighted on her, although it was clear they didn’t _see _her. “Ekaterina? What is it, girl?”

The man glanced at the direction ‘Ekaterina’ was looking only momentarily to see that there was nothing there then looked down at the dog curiously. “It’s not hooked into Red Unit?”

“No. Ekaterina is a personal project of mine, so I made her AI independent, self-contained. No wireless signals either; I don’t want Red Unit jacking into it.” Professor-145 replied, turning back to her companion. “Of course, the best I have managed is dog-level intelligence. Doesn’t even come close to human-level, let alone Red Unit’s superintelligence. Not that I mind. I like dogs.” Her mouth twisted in slight amusement. “I think mother was more of a cat person, considering what kind of strays she took in.”

“Still, regardless of precisely how intelligent it is, it’s an AI.” The man pointed out.

“Exactly.” 145 looked back in Miku’s direction. “While Ekaterina’s programmed to emulate canine behavior in response to inputs, so she’s much more precise. She wouldn’t be doing this if she wasn’t picking up _something _she was programmed to notice, a noise or a smell. That head tilt though means she can’t identify whatever she’s picking up.”

The woman cupped her chin in thought for a moment before sighing. ”I’m going to have to run a diagnostics check when we get back.” Her voice took on a commanding tone. “Ekaterina! Instruction: Log anomalous reading, disregard anomalous reading! Authorization: Foxtrot-Hotel-Fiver.”

Ekaterina tore her four red ‘eyes’ away from Miku, returning her head forward and falling into an obedient and alert sitting posture. Miku breathed a sigh of relief.

—

Hibiki breathed a sigh of relief. The Gungnir user spent the entire tense period of time glancing between the camera feed and Souji, waiting for any signal that she should bust out there and smash into the facility. She needed to calm down. She needed to trust Miku and her training.

The other three adaptors hadn’t even noticed; their attention was fixated on trying to figure out where they had seen this woman. Souji, on the other hand, swiftly jotted down some notes. That conversation had been as informative as it had been worrying. That the ‘Red Unit’ was apparently a Superintelligent AI explained some things, raised a few more questions, and opened up a host of terrifying possibilities.

—

“Forward the rest of the list to my main account, I’ll review them and make recommendations when I have time.” 145 said as she stepped up to the VTOL’s passenger compartment. Ekaterina jumped up onto the vehicle to join her.

“Say hello to Professor-Three-Twelve for me!” The man called out as he backed away and the pitch in the VTOL’s engines began to grow.

“Assuming the idiot hasn’t been liquidated for another of his proposals!” She called back, strapping in. “Man’s chafing under the prohibi-!”

Her voice was lost in the growing whine of the engines as the VTOL lifted off the pad, its passenger doors sliding close. The aircraft rapidly gained altitude as it steadily shifted into horizontal flight, climbing up into the sky.

Miku contemplated dropping stealth and quickly shooting off its engine, but she discarded the idea. Quietly, she hovered away from the man as he turned and began to walk back towards the office building. She wouldn’t risk bringing the whole base down on her yet. She’d have to wait until they were distracted.

“Alright, I think we’ve seen and heard enough, Kohinata.” Director Ogawa’s voice echoed in her ear. “Find a good spot and send the signal when you are ready.”

Miku clicked once in response and turned, retracing her steps… erm, flight path back towards the facility entrance. She remembered what Souji had told her: set-up by the southeastern side of the facility, as close to the perimeter fence as she could get, and with as large a field of view as she could get. During her sweep through the base, she had seen a warehouse that might fit best.

The warehouse was four stories tall, as much as she could afford to boost her ionocraft modules without risking detection. It was the tallest building around for a few blocks, so it had a clear view of the main gate. Propelling herself up to the roof, Miku hovered over to the corner overlooking the gate and scanned the view. Yes, this fit nicely.

Touching down, Miku shut off her Ionocraft modules, took a deep breath, and reached up to click her communicator three times.

—

The trio of clicks resonated through the van’s back. Director Ogawa glanced back at the others. “Deploy.”

“Roger!” Hibiki, Shirabe, and Kirika chorused, already heading for the door. Jumping down out of the van, they sprinted the short distance to the cliff side, leapt clear, and sang...

“_Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron._”

“_Various Shul Shagana tron._”

“_Zeios Igalima raizen tron._”

—

[PRIORITY ALERT: Black Unit Facility 1-014 Proximity AWF-Signature]  
[HVTs Sierra-2-Actual, Sierra-5-Actual, Sierra-6-Actual Verified]  
[Sierra-Golf Assault Immediate. TACCOM Protocols Activated. Facility Wide Protocol-10 Activated. Available Whiskey-November Deployment Requested.]

—

Darmawan was rather rudely awakened from his nap by a shout from the only other person left in the safehouse screaming upstairs. “Timmy Darmmy deary! Wake the fuck up! We’ve gotta response deployment!”

“Where’s the others?!” He called back, trying to shake the grogginess out of his head as he climbed out of bed.

“Voronin is a couple hours out from Japan, and the rest are still hunting down some no-name alchemical cult in Germany to vaporize an old necklace or something!” Caprice slammed her arm computer into place on her suit and made ready far too many explosives, “Now, as much as I’d _love _to talk jewelry, we’ve got some Sierras to blow up! Two’s there, if it’ll get you moving any faster!”

“The God-Slayer?! Genjuro’s best student?!” _Now _Darmawan was really moving, grabbing his nanosuit down off the rack.

“Yeah, that’s the spirit!” Caprice shouted as she finished clipping the last satchel charge to her waist. “Just don’t let her break your spine or something!” She turned for the garage door. “You’ve got two minutes before I drag you to the car, regardless of how suited up you are!”

—

The adaptors ignored the lighter ordinance and did their best to avoid the heavier guns, pushing through the pain of sudden light burns when a few violet beams found their mark. Anti-LiNKER gas drifted through the air, but by now, they were long used to dropping their armor combinations to compensate. The moment the Horsemen’s staples and Automen opened fire upon the approaching trio, Miku dropped her stealth and released a series of mirrors to rain a **_Purgatory_** of beams upon the staples on the adjacent roofs.

Music thundered in Kirika’s ears, mixing up with the noise of energy weapons, explosions, Shirabe’s buzzsaws, and automatic gunfire as the trio of adaptors practically danced across the hastily erected killzone towards the facility's gate. Two extra blades spontaneously slid from Igalima as she closed in. Kirika swung the scythe, releasing both in a **_Kill Juliet_** of death that tore right through the squads immediately in front of her and the razor wire fencing just beyond them. As she charged through the gap, she sang...

“_A red light flashes! Which do you prefer, heaven or hell or death?!  
__You’d better pay attention to us two!  
__Pay attention for death!”_

Cooly, Shirabe skated straight through the midst of a squad of staples, Shul-Shagana’s saw-blades held horizontally as she casually bisected them. She swiftly shifted the arms forward as she rolled through another section of fence. The platoon of staples, along with a trio of Automen, firing on her from just beyond were backed up by a wheeled armored personnel carrier which was systematically pumping round after round of autocannon shells in her direction.

Leaping up, Shirabe shifted her buzzsaws into a single large mono-wheel buzzsaw with her riding in the center. Graser shots and autocannon rounds deflected off the front of the **_Forbidden Full Moon_**. An AT missile leapt from a launcher atop the APC’s turret only to be bisected before it could detonate when it spiralled straight into the monowheel’s front. Blood splashed and circuits tore as the Shul-Shagana monowheel raced through the group of staples and Automen, finally slamming into the personnel carrier. Shirabe jerked forward as the monowheel chewed through the armor, but it swiftly hit a fuel tank, detonating the APC spectacularly.

Rolling on out of the dust and debris, Shirabe cut through another group of staples before abandoning the monowheel, her armed gear shifting back to its **_Friction Blades_**. Bullets cracked down at her from an adjacent one-story warehouse, staples firing down out of windows and atop the roof. The Shul-Shagana wielder swiped out with her buzzsaws and cut through the wall. Within, more staples and some Automen now fired upon her from behind crates. Body parts, Automen pieces, and the parts of service robots flew everywhere as Shirabe cut through the warehouse like a killing whirlwind. And when all finally fell silent, she wasted no time in slicing her way out through the far wall, making extra sure to cut through a support beam. Behind her, the warehouse crumbled, bringing down the staples that had been on the roof with it.

Turning into the gunfire from yet more staples coming down the service road she was now on, the twin-tailed girl continued her assault.

_“Hey could we merge on a rail that just pushes forward to death?!  
_ _Embracing our dreams in a world that hasn't been minced into pieces!  
_ _Let's kiss.”_

Her gauntlet’s rockets firing, Hibiki smashed straight through the gate guard like it didn’t exist. Swinging her fist just after she broke through, she cored straight through the APC situated just beyond the gate like a person-shaped armor piercing round, passing right through the front and rear armor, as well as the crew of staples in between, to finally manage a landing roll on her feet just beyond. Her right hand was now soaked in a mixture of blood and oil. A moment later, the personnel carrier duly exploded from the damage of her passing.

Undeterred, those staples and Automen around the personnel carrier who were not cut down by the shrapnel simply turned and continued to fire upon her. Launching herself into the group on her right, Hibiki forced herself to ignore the way bones shattered and blood sprayed as she put her fists through body armor, gas masks, and the bodies beneath them. They weren’t people, she reminded herself. They were staples.

At least when she punched through an Automan, they didn’t bleed. Instead, they were torn apart in a shower of metal bits and sparks. Hibiki was constantly in motion, fists and legs lashing out to smash through bodies and armor. Some groups she didn’t even have to attack, as they instead disintegrated under a hail of purple beams firing down from atop a four story structure nearby. The source of the beams moved along the roof’s edge as Hibiki advanced deeper into the facility, leaving the gate behind, until finally she lost sight of the structure completely.

_“What is there to becoming strong?  
_ _Just be continuing to seek it?  
_ _My real thoughts,  
_ _Can't be achieved with just this!”_

Hibiki fell into a fighting stance as a pair of tanks turned around the corner of a manufacturing building, their guns already aimed in her direction. Just like in Val Verde, she expected she’d be able to deflect their rounds. Unfortunately, she hadn’t paid enough attention to the reports on precisely how much faster electromagnetically-propelled shots were compared to conventional tankfire. She saw the flash of the railgun firing, but by the time her fists were able to move, the first slug smashed straight into her stomach.

Okay, _ow_, that was probably going to bruise. Felt like a direct hit from one of Chris’s rockets. Fortunately, the first round throwing the Gungnir user on her back caused the second round a moment later to flash over her head. Hibiki wasted no time. Shaking the haze from her head, she leapt back up to her feet and charged forward towards the heavy armor and their infantry screen. She swerved just before the first tank fired again, the miss close enough that she could feel it brush against her right arm.

The pistons on her legs fired, propelling Hibiki forward and smashing her straight through the screen of Staples. She landed right on the tank’s front hull, denting it with the impact. Its close-in anti-personnel countermeasures fired off, flechettes smashing into Hibiki like grapeshot, but she didn’t even flinch as she forced her fists into the turret ring.

‘_Okay Hibiki,_’ She thought as she wrenched the turret loose, ‘_Lesson learned: don’t try to deflect railgun shots. Instead, throw off their aim and close distance ASAP_.’

Another difference from Val Verde: cracking open a Four Horsemen’s vehicle prompted the crews to draw their machine pistols and open fire instead of fleeing in panic. The Gungnir wielder ignored that, instead wrenching the turret overhead to slam down on top of its neighbor with enough force to crush it. Then she leapt away just in time to avoid another railgun round from a third tank further back, providing overwatch, smash through the hull, exploding the entire thing.

_“The courage to become strong is hidden in my heart,  
_ _In the radiance concealed by the moon, our paired love has no lies.  
_ _I want you to shine! Just loving!”_

Kirika was a dervish of death, Igalima flashing again and again as she sliced through staples and Automen. The enemy kept trying to bog her down, raining cross fire down upon her from buildings on either side of whatever road she took and firing down the streets with autocannons and missile launchers. In response, she danced, flipped, and flat-out tore her way from building to building. Whenever she crashed into a warehouse or manufacturing plant, the staples and Automen within unhesitatingly turned their weapons on her, shifting their positions from windows and doorways to take cover behind crates and assembly lines.

Igalima cut them down all the same.

Kirika slashed through another warehouse wall, charged out into the next service road, and jerked aside just in time to avoid being knocked over by a railgun shot from a tank on the intersection. She zig-zagged forward, ignoring the gunfire from the staples and trying to throw off the graser shots of the Automen best she could. The blonde closed the distance, scything through the escorting clones and androids as she did so.

The tank’s anti-boarding measures fired but never made contact as the Igalima user leapt skyward. The grappling chains on her shoulder armor fired, expanding around the tank as their endpoints dug into the ground around it and the chains themselves constricted it. The tank’s engine roared as it bucked back against the chains, trying to reverse. Kirika could tell from the way the chains buckled that they wouldn’t hold it forever. But then they didn’t have to. They only had to hold it for long enough.

Her scythe morphed, the handle splitting into two, one of which was transferred to the other side of the elongating blade. The two handles then shot forward, embedding themselves on either side of the chained-down battle tank. Kirika planted her feet on the back of the blade, now an enormous guillotine centered over the middle of the tank. Her armor’s jets fired as the handles constricted, accelerating the blade to absurd velocity.

The **_Guillotine Jabberwock_** impacted _just _as the tank managed to break the grappling chains. With a screech of metal on metal, the vehicle split in two before each section’s ammunition and fuel cooked off, causing the whole thing to erupt. Riding the twin explosions into the air, Kirika flipped right side up as she descended upon another company of staples shooting up at her, Igalima raised, still singing away.

_“To just my dear enemies, welcome to our black history of death.  
_ _For sure we'll surpass our yesterdays with affection!  
_ _It's the strongest, death!”_

The Shenshoujing’s mirrors, both the folded one in Miku’s hands and the remote ones dancing around her, spitting purple light, burning through armor, metal, flesh, and circuitry alike. Miku provided Hibiki with covering fire for as long as she could maintain line of sight, and then, when she vanished from view, the flying Symphogear adaptor moved to support Shirabe. Any combat vehicles she could spot, she speared with beams from her more powerful fan mirror while the remote mirrors picked off groups of staples or Automen.

Miku almost didn’t see the tank with its railgun aimed at her perch until it was too late. The key word there though was ‘almost’. With a whine, her Ionocraft modules came to life and propelled her upward just as the tank fired. The shot shattered the northern front of the warehouse she had been atop, but Miku was already well clear and now flying over the facility. Turning back in the direction of the tank, she swiftly unfolded the Shenshoujing’s knee plates and hooked her cables up to the resulting ring. The circle glowed as a ball of light popped into existence in front of Miku before shooting forward in a continuous beam. Like a **_Shooting Star_**, the beam consumed the tank, causing a huge explosion.

From her new perch in the sky, Miku could see almost the entire complex. She was about to turn her attention back to the front where Hibiki, Kirika, and Shirabe were busy punching, scything, and sawing their way through the Horsemen’s forces when something in her mind clicked: not all of the gunfire was in the locations they were. The place where her fellow adaptors were certainly was receiving the most gunfire, no doubt. But there was also sporadic gunfire coming from deeper in the compound, where none of the adaptors had reached yet.

Looking in the direction of the nearest case, Miku’s blood froze at the sight: a half-dozen staples calmly and robotically shot down fleeing workmen in their orange vests. Rage shot through her veins. Not enough that the Horsemen were monstrous enough to slaughter innocents, they would even slaughter their own people?! Unfolding her armed gear, Miku blotted the squad of staples from the earth with a **_Flash_** of lasers.

“The staples are killing the workers!” Miku shouted over her communicator. “The Horsemen are killing their own people!”

“What?!” Hibiki’s voice came back, outrage very clear. “We have to stop them, as fast as we can!”

_“The feelings that I protected was of a very pleasurable death!”  
_ _I won't let go of you! I absolutely won't let this one fated Death that is for the two of us,”_

“Wait, wait! Don’t do this, please I-!” Kenji Asato shouted as he was thrown to the ground. Everything he had seen told him begging wouldn’t work, but fear had a funny way of overriding rational thought. They were security, his manager said. Elite private military contractors, some of the best in the business. Necessary since the place held some big company secrets that competitors would be quite interested in getting their hands on. Just don’t talk to them or go into restricted areas, and they wouldn’t bother you. Now, his manager’s body lay by the assembly line for service robots, riddled with bullet holes.

He didn’t understand. One moment, it was a standard work day. The very next, the security alarms went off, a weird red gas came out of the vents, and, a few minutes afterwards, a fury of gunfire kicked off to the southeast, along with explosions and what sounded like some kinda energy blasts. Most of the mercenaries ran off in the direction of the gunfire. The workers, naturally, looked to those mercs who stayed behind for protection.

Instead, the remaining contractors opened fire on the workers. Kenji only escaped the slaughter by virtue of being the closest to the door. But when he dashed outside, he saw other workers outside likewise being shot down.

He had tried to hide, but one group of soldiers found him. The masked figure that hauled him out of the air duct he was hiding in calmly and robotically placed his rifle to Kenji’s temple as he begged. Finally realizing that begging was of no further use, Kenji screwed his eyes shut, thought of his parents… and wondered why he could hear a song.

_“The wish that I believed in… should be a death that connects us!”_

There was an audible _shing_, the sound of tearing flesh, and something wet splashed all over Kenji’s upper body. Another moment later and he felt something tumble across his upper body.

“You’re okay now! Although you might want to be more careful who you work for in the future, ya know?” A female voice called out to him. Realizing that he wasn’t dead, Kenji sat up and opened his eyes. For a heart-stopping instance, he thought he _had _died and a death goddess had come to take him.

Then he spotted the half-dozen bisected soldiers laying at her feet and realized she hadn’t come to take him, but this only marginally reduced the terror he felt towards her. Though she smiled encouragingly at him, he fixated on blood splattered across her clothes and dripping from her enormous scythe. The small part of his mind still clinging to rationality informed him that this had to be that blonde Symphogear, Kirika Akatsuki, who had been in the news so much during the past few weeks, but it was drowned out by the rest still busy gibbering in awe and terror.

The smile dropped off her face, replaced by a puzzled frown. “Hey, are you okay?!”

“P-please d-don’t kill me!” He shouted.

An alarmed look crossed her face at that and she opened her mouth to speak… only to be cut off as a rocket slammed into her, enveloping her in dust and debris. A moment passed before a green blur shot out of the dust cloud as the blonde reaper spun took off in the direction the rocket came from, powering through a hail of bullets.

Staggering to his feet, Ken turned and ran in the opposite direction out onto the street. He froze to stare at the carpet of bodies, body parts, and burning husks of vehicles which were now strewn across the street. For a moment, he contemplated turning around again only to realize that would mean going where the soldiers and blonde reaper were still battling it out, based on the noises he heard. Okay, maybe this direction was the better idea after all. At least there probably weren’t any soldiers this way who would shoot him, and surely, the blonde reaper wouldn’t retrace her steps!

—

Kirika tore through another group of staples as she charged forward, bursting out into the area she recognized from Miku’s recon earlier as the helipad. She arrived just in time to see the large transport VTOL’s rear ramp finish sealing. The pitch of its engines grew into a roar as it took off into the air. Oh, no she wasn’t going to let them get away with material like that! She leapt, boosting her already superhuman ascent with her armor’s jets and enlarged Igalima as she lifted it over her head, angling herself towards the nearest of the four tilt wings.

_“Our past and all of our sins and wounds,” _Kirika shouted the last lines of her song. Just before she reached the wing, she swung, neatly cutting off the tilt wing with its engine and sending the VTOL careening out of control. _“Let's go and surpass them!”_

She touched down in a crouch on the other side of the area as the final notes played. An instant later, the cargo VTOL slammed into the helipad behind her, causing an explosive chain reaction. Kirika cooly walked away from the conflagration, slinging her Armed Gear over her back. She started to turn towards the entrance of the office building until she caught her reflection in an intact window.

The blonde stared. The blood of many of the staples she had cut through was splattered all over her. On a few occasions in the past, her friends had joked she looked like the Grim Reaper. It was a joke she found amusing more than anything else, so she played along with it. Looking at her blood-soaked reflection right now though, suddenly that joke struck her as _vastly _less funny.

No wonder the workers looked so scared of her, even after she saved them.

“Kiri-chan?” At the sound of her approaching girlfriend’s voice, Kirika tore her vision away from the ghastly image. She noted Shirabe and her Shul-Shagana were also splattered in blood. Although Kirika couldn’t find it in her to be scared of her girlfriend - Shirabe would always be beautiful to her no matter what - objectively, she wondered if people would be as terrified of Shirabe’s appearance right now.

Kirika briefly hoped in the future that the Horsemen would deploy a lot more Automen and a lot fewer staples. Sure, they were somewhat tougher to deal with, and their attacks could actually hurt. But at least it didn’t mean her, her girlfriend, and possibly her other friends would keep winding up looking like death incarnate.

“Kiri-chan?” Shirabe repeated, concerned at her girlfriends lack of response. “Is everything okay?”

“Uh… yeah, sure!” Kirika shook herself out of her thoughts and offered her girlfriend a smile she hoped was sincere enough. “Just thinking about how much messier this is!”

Only then did Shirabe understand, glancing between the blood splattered on herself and Kirika.

“Kirika, Shirabe!” Hibiki jogged up to the Zababa pair. Kirika couldn’t help but glance down at the Gungnir girl’s bloodsoaked fists and feet. The sound of gunfire had died off by now. The staples and Automen had to be finished by now.

“Is everyone okay?” Miku asked, descending from the sky. Kirika felt a slight pang of jealousy as she noticed that the Shenshoujing user was still spotless. Lucky range-specialized Gear users.

“We’re all good!” Kirika quickly answered. “Guess we cleaned this place out.”

Hibiki activated her communicator. “Ogawa, mission complete. We’ve cleared the place out.”

“Good. I’ll contact the SDF and support teams and… wait.” A sudden note of urgency. “Maria, Automen coming up the cliff! Depl-!”

Abruptly the communicator went dead.

—

_“Seilien coffin Airgetlamh tron.”_

Maria sang as she leapt from the rear of the truck just as the first Automen leapt over the cliff’s edge, the androids tossing out Anti-LiNKER canisters as they did. Properly transformed, the pinkette lashed out with her whip-sword before any of the androids could even raise their arm mounted weapons, smashing most of them to scrap metal in an instant. But even as the shattered parts flew everywhere, they were instantly replaced by more sweeping over the cliffside.  
  
The ones Maria missed took aim, not at the pinkette but at the command truck. Thinking quickly, Maria swung Airgetlamh the moment before they fired, this time maneuvering the whip-blades between the truck and graser muzzles, blocking the beams.

“Director Ogawa, I’ll hold them off! Get out of here!” She shouted over her communicator as she charged the increasing number of Automen. The engine of the truck roared to life, and it swiftly pulled away. There was no time to turn it around, so it sped further up the mountain road. Maria knew that only rendered it safe for the moment. The road dead-ended short of the summit, and if she fell back, the Automen would just pursue. A number of the androids tried to follow the vehicle with their graser-arms, but Maria slammed into them before they could fire, parts and circuitry flying everywhere, sweeping the wave back off the cliffside.

But she knew yet more were clambering up. She jumped off the cliff and turned herself mid-air. Momentarily she was stunned by the sheer numbers of them clambering up the vertical ascent by thrusting their hands into the mountain rock face. Like a swarm of ants marching up the side of a boulder. Thank god they were androids and not clones. Maria still wasn’t sure if she would be able to handle the carnage if they were.

Maria unsheathed Airgetlamh again. Or rather, she unsheathed an immense string of Airgetlamh copies that unfolded to hover in front of her, pointing down at the mountain before launching forward. An **_INFINITE†CRIME_** of blades plunged into the mountainside with enough force to partially collapse the cliff face, taking scores of Automen near the top with it.

Maria pointed Airgetlamh up at the edge of the cliffside as she descended. Her whip-blade shot forward again to loop around and bury itself in the remains of the mountain road. Using it as an improvised grappling hook, she yanked herself back up onto the road. She took only a moment to catch her breath, then swiftly turned back to face the cliff. The attack hadn’t dealt with all of them, there were more coming. She could not let them get through. Raising Airgetlamh again, Maria prepared to meet the next wave.

—

“Ogawa?! Director Ogawa?! Maria?!” Hibiki tried again.

Kirika turned away, back in the direction where the vehicle had been parked. “We’d better get ba-LOOK OUT!”

The adaptors scattered as an octet of cylindrical rounds descended upon them. From each one, a thick white mist sprayed into their immediate surroundings, seeming to shove the ever-present Anti-LiNKER gas aside before the core igniters detonated. Even with the distance they managed to gain from the center of the explosions, the immense blasts from the fuel-air explosives was still enough to toss the adapters off their feet.

With a high-pitched laugh of joy and excitement, Caprice Calcaterra strode out of the rising dust and smoke from the FAE’s, swiftly slotting in fresh grenades to her launcher’s drum with a confident enthusiasm. “Think that’s enough of a blast for you girls?!”

“White Noise,” Shirabe hissed as she climbed to her feet, shaking off the momentary disorientation.

“Well, almost!” Caprice grinned back with a wink at the Shul-Shagana user. “I’m afraid most of us are too busy at the moment to take you girls out for an early dinner, but I’m still free-”

A shadow fell over Miku as she righted herself. Not even taking the time to look and see what was descending upon her, she shot aside away from Hibiki. It proved a wise decision as the enormous figure of Timoty Darmawan clad in black armor smashed down where she had been.

“-And so’s Darmmy!” Caprice finished. “But don’t be sad! There’s still plenty of other suitors here who’d be willing to date sweeties like you! Just had to get them out of their beds in the underground storage!”

With a rumble, a positive **_flood _**of Automen poured out of the surrounding buildings, rushing forward with their weapon-arms already raised yet holding fire for the moment as they took up positions all around the ruined helipad, both on the ground and from atop the surrounding rooftops. The adaptors swiftly noted that only half of the Automen were carrying their customary grasers in their integrated arm-mounts. The other half seemed to have arm-mounted… were those small autocannons? No, there was something subtly different about those weapons from conventional guns somehow.

“Automen,” Caprice theatrically waved her free arm after a moment. “Roll out!”

An enormous mass of violet beams stabbed out from around half of the Automen in a storm of crack-hisses. The guns outfitted to the other half simply flashed but instead of the systemic thumping of autocannons, they sounded more like a cacophony of high-pitched cracks, their rounds flashing through the air almost as fast as those from a Horsemen tank’s railgun. They had to be some form of electromagnetic-propelled weapons too.

The sheer weight of fire smashed down on the adaptors with enough force to knock them all over again, tearing at their armor, scouring burns, and cutting into their skin. Those automen closest to the adaptors took advantage of them toppling over to charge forward, but none of the girls allowed themselves to remain stunned for long. Pushing through the pain, they rolled to their feet and made for the only cover available, the office building. Kirika and Shirabe were closest to the structure and made it first, leaping through a pair of windows in their haste to escape the storm of beams and projectiles.

But Miku and Hibiki were further away from both the Zababa duo and each other, and the rain of fire forced them even further from each other. An Automan swiftly cut in front of the former. She lashed out with the Shenshoujing’s whips, smashing the machine apart. But two more immediately took its place.

“Miku!” Hibiki shouted as the flood of Automen cut her off. She noted how the weight of fire and charging Automen shifted towards the Shenshoujing user, yet the shattering sound of the Shenshoujing’s whips tearing through android armor and stream of lancing purple beams told Hibiki that the black-haired girl was fighting back with all she had and managing to hold her own. The Gungnir user turned to leap to her girlfriend’s aid, only to flinch back as Darmawan’s massive, armored fist smashed down into the ground where she would have been if she did leap forward.

“Gungnir girl!” The Indonesian shouted, yanking his hand out of the crater and putting them up in fisticuffs. He sounded _excited_. “Fight me!”

“Have fun, Darmmy. Guess I’ll take out the little ones!” Caprice chortled as she ducked into the same office window Shirabe had. 

If Darmawan heard Caprice, he showed no sign of it. His eyes were focused entirely on the girl in front of him. For her part, Hibiki Tachibana felt a sense of unease at the intensity of the muscular man’s stare. She settled into a Bajiquan fighting stance, her legs firmly planted on the ground, one fist in front of her body, and the other near her stomach. Darmawan then charged towards her, aiming a bunch of jabs all across her upper body. 

Hibiki blocked all of the jabs, sometimes exchanging them with her own. Darmawan was the stronger fighter here, at least physically speaking, and his speed was about on par with hers. However, he could not keep up the assault of rapid jabs forever. Eventually, he’d go for a more powerful hit, and when that happened, she’d be able to capitalize 

Until then, she was at his mercy.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this,” Darmawan exclaimed breathlessly as he continuously tried to break through Hibiki’s impressive guard. “To be trading blows with you… truly, I have made the right decision. Ha!” He launched a powerful kick that sent Hibiki flying even though she guarded it. 

The Gungnir girl did a mid-air backflip and landed gracefully on her feet. Though her stance was still ready, there was a confused look on her face. “Um, what do you mean?”

Darmawan smiled. “Years ago, I met your old master, Genjuro Kazanari. We were young men at the time. Being born with great physical talent, I thought there was no athletic competition I could lose in. ‘There’s no need for training,’ I thought. ‘Everyone is weaker than me.’ But he beat me in a martial arts bout, easily. Since then, that loss has inspired me to constantly strive for self-improvement!” 

At the last word of his explanation, he jumped up in the air and came in for a diving leap towards Hibiki, his fist raised. Hibiki attempted to dodge his attack by backpedalling, but rather than performing a concrete-smashing pound, the Indonesian man opened his fist into a hand. Landing on the concrete with one hand, he used it to launch himself forward towards Hibiki, his other fist cocked to punch her midair. Hibiki realized what he was doing and crossed her arms in front of her chest, but the blow sent her flying into a wall.

“And now?” He panted, getting himself ready for another powerful attack. “I’ll prove to myself I’m stronger than Genjuro by killing you.”

“You aren’t making any sense,” Hibiki muttered, climbing out of the girl-shaped indent she’d left in the wall. “I don’t understand.”

“I don’t think you ever will.” Darmawan shrugged and smirked. “You fight for others, so you will never understand what it means to fight for the sake of strength and strength alone.”

“No! That’s not it!” Hibiki shouted at him with a glare. “If you wanted to prove your strength, you didn’t have to join the Four Horsemen. You didn’t have to kill anyone! So why?!”

Darmawan looked at Hibiki with dumb confusion, as if her words had short-circuited something in his brain. But then, he shook his head, and his resolve returned. “It doesn’t matter. We’re in a battle now, so it’s too late for me to give up! Not with how far I’ve come!” He rushed at Hibiki, hoping to pound her into the wall.

Seeing this, Hibiki tried to get over the huge White Noise member by jumping off the wall behind her. However, Darmawan was prepared for this. With one hand, he reached out and grabbed one of the long ends of one of Hibiki’s scarves and pulled. Hibiki squawked and felt herself get spun around before being slammed against the wall _again_. With a shout, Hibiki tried to punch Darmawan, but he caught her fist. His other hand still held the scarf.

“What’s the deal with these scarves? Do they make you feel heroic?” He mocked.

“I’m not a hero!” Hibiki growled out, trying to yank it out from his iron grip. 

“Well, tell that to the public. You’re pretty much a goddess to them!” With a heave, Darmawan whipped Hibiki up in the air by her scarf, intending to slam her down into the ground.

As she approached the apex of the arc, Hibiki made the scarves she was wearing disappear with a mental command to Gungnir, leaving Darmawan holding nothing and launching her into the air. Flipping around, Hibiki used her leg pistons and fist rockets to change the direction of her flight and launch her own attack, a fresh pair of scarves flowing out behind her as she descended. Darmawan raised his fists to block the rocket punch, the ground underneath him cracking at the impact. Though the force of the blow was enough to destroy a mountaintop, the White Noise member only laughed before deflecting it.

Hibiki landed on the ground a few meters away from Darmawan to catch her breath. Her last attack might not have done much damage to her opponent, but her opponent’s weapon was a different matter. Darmawan’s black gauntlets were utterly shattered, exposing his bloody bare hands.

“Guess that’s it for you!” Hibiki quipped as she raised herself back up to a fighting stance, figuring that he would be easier to take down now. But to her surprise, Darmawan just grinned and raised his own hands in reply.

Before Hibiki’s eyes, what looked like a black liquid gel flowed from the rest of Darmawan’s armor and over his exposed hands. It swiftly morphed and swelled before hardening. Within a matter of seconds, the gauntlets were back, looking brand new.

“How-?!”

Darmawan cut off Hibiki’s questioning shout with a short bark of laughter and a confident boast. “Nanomachines, girl! You won’t stop these gauntlets just by breaking them.”

Then he charged again.

—

The interior of the office building looked pretty much what anyone would expect an office building to look like, or at least one caught in the aftermath of an earthquake. Shattered cubicles, collapsed walls, and reams of paper were everywhere. Power in some rooms had been lost. And there were the bodies, of course. The staples had done their bloody work against the scientists no differently than the orange-suited workers outside. The baleful red message of [SYSTEM ERROR. FACILITYWIDE PROTOCOL-10 IN EFFECT. LIQUIDATE ALL NONESSENTIAL PERSONNEL.] splayed across all the terminals seemed to emphasize the cold, calculated nature of the slaughter.

Kirika, remembering what happened on the USS _Whitemore_, had made sure to shrink Igalima down to a size she could reasonably swing without it catching on something she didn’t want it to catch on. There were still plenty of Automen in the building, and the more constricted confines of the hallway frequently saw them suddenly leap out at the scythe wielder.

“Shirabe?!” She called out, as she bisected another of the androids. She wasn’t sure how she got separated from her girlfriend in the maze of office hallways, but she knew she had to find her again. They stood a much better chance against any of the White Noise Squad together then separated. She briefly contemplated just trying to slice her way through the building’s walls and floors, but discarded it. She didn’t want to accidentally bring the whole structure down on top of them, even if they could survive it there might still be valuable data in this place. The structure was definitely given over to the research section of the Horsemen, although the name escaped her at the moment.

A strange cutting sound coming from around the corner of an intersection drew her attention. Kirika paused and frowned. That didn’t sound like one of Shul-Shagana’s saw blades. It sounded too… burny? Maybe. She turned the corner just in time to see the two white, blazing hot incendiary lines finish burning their way down the two sides of a piece of wall. Her eyes barely had time to widen when the piece of wall exploded with enough force to toss her back.

“A special delivery of love for you~!” Caprice chortled as she immediately fired a grenade through the hole she had created. Kirika didn’t roll quite fast enough to escape the blast and again she was tossed aside. Feeling a little like a juggler’s ball, Kirika rolled as soon as she hit the ground this time and beat a hasty retreat back the way she came. As quick as she could, she ducked down another intersection and paused to catch her breath.

“Come on back, dear little dawn!” Caprice’s voice floated down the hall after her. “I know how hungry you could be as a child! I know shrapnel might be a little sharp, but I’m sure you won’t let any go to waste.”

Kirika sucked in a breath. She had gone hungry as a child? Oh, right. The Horsemen knew about her past. The blonde did always try to avoid wasting any food. Maybe… maybe Caprice could tell her more?

Kirika spun back out into the corridor, Igalima raised. Caprice had been advancing down the hallway and was only two dozen feet from the blonde. At her appearance, the Italian’s launcher had shot up to take aim.

“Our past!” Kirika shouted. “Can’t you tell me anything about our past?! I want to know.”

Caprice lowered her launcher slightly, contemplating the question before finally shrugging. “Sure. Why not?”

Kirika’s heart leapt, matching Caprice’s slightly lowered guard by also lowering her own scythe. “Really?!”

“No.” Caprice’s launcher shot back up and fired a grenade straight into Kirika’s chest.

By the time Kirika’s head cleared this time, Caprice loomed immediately over her. The bomber’s grenade launcher pointed right at her head.

The Italian made a show of taking a whiff of air, inhaling deeply as she manually cycled her launcher’s cylinder with her thumb. “You know, your hair smells nice. I wonder, is it able to burn while you’re wearing that skin?”

Caprice finger tightened on her launcher’s trigger… and then she leapt back as **_100 Saṃsāra_** of miniature sawblades tore straight through where she had just been standing.

_“Two joined round dances starts your punishment,” _Shirabe sang as she skated down the hallway, firing more of the blades from her compartments at Caprice. _“I'll even turn you into pieces by initializing my justice.”_

“Shirabe!” Kirika cried happily, climbing back to her feet as her girlfriend rushed up to her.

Caprice ducked and weaved between the saw blades as best she could in the narrow hallway. Inevitably, some of the mini-blades found their mark and there were sparks as they bit into her nanosuit.

“Kiri-chan.” Shirabe answered, her voice filled with determination. “Let’s take her down, together. Then we can get some answers out of her.”

An immense grin threatened to split Kirika’s face as she turned towards the Italian, holding Igalima ready. “Right!”

“How cute!” Caprice cooed, sighing theatrically. Then she held out her free hand, four of those micro-explosive balls wedged in between her fingers. “Well then if you want me, come and get me!” And she threw the balls straight forward at Kirika and Shirabe. In tandem, the Zababa duo leapt backward out of the micro-explosives blast radius.

“_Like my immature heart, the hostile sentiments that I vent is a voltage that has no place to go with my hidden tears._” Shirabe sang as she reversed directions, her compartments unfolding to bring out her sawblades, and powered through the smoke of the detonations. Caprice stood on the other side, a grin on her face and her body language nonchalant. Shirabe leapt and the Italian’s grin vanished as the Shul-Shagana user cut through the roof to gain extra headspace, clearing the blast of the proximity mine laid in her path. “_Did the words that I spat out match with a hypocrite's_?”

Caprice managed to duck under Shirabe’s first swing with Shul-Shagana and lashed out with the butt of her launcher, but the twin-tailed girl jerked aside and slid past the Italian. Caprice turned, trying to bring her launcher to bear.

_“Embracing our dreams in a world that hasn't been minced into pieces, let's kiss!”_

Before Caprice could take aim at Shirabe, she suddenly heard footsteps charging in behind her and ducked out of the way. But she was slightly too slow, and Igalima sliced through the outer left layer of her nanosuit. Kirika immediately reversed her scythe’s direction and struck the woman in her side with the handle, forcing her into the wall.

_“I don’t want to be strong just by being protected, the feelings in my heart can't be achieved with just this._”

Caprice rolled out of the way of Kirika’s next swing, which cut through the wall instead. The Italian swung her launcher around again as she turned back, but Kirika blocked the attempted blow with the handle of her scythe, and the two found themselves locked in position. Behind the blonde, Shirabe’s compartments swung open again and Kirika, sensing her girlfriend’s intent, leapt away just as Shul-Shagana fired off another barrage of miniature saw-blades.

Caprice only had enough time to raise her launcher to protect her face as she took the full force of the barrage in a shower of sparks. The bomber hissed in pain as several of the blades managed to cut their way entirely through the armor and nicked her skin.

“Right!” Caprice shouted as the barrage ended, powering through the pain and allowing slight frustration to creep into her voice. “By hand it is!” She tore a grenade with red stripes off of her belt with her free hand and raised it.

“_If I could become strong, could I get closer to the shining sun?_” Shirabe closed and opened her hand, Shul-Shagana’s manifestation of a yo-yo appearing in it. Without leaving Caprice any time to react, the twin-tailed girl lashed out expertly, and the razor-sharp wire sliced through the detonator cap as Shirabe finished her song. “_Being shined on by you is just loving!_”

_‘Oh, I forgot about the yo-yo blades._’ Was all that managed to pass through Caprice’s mind. She only had enough time to drop the grenade and begin to turn away before it detonated, a blaze of fire briefly obscuring her from the Zababa couple’s view. The woman’s shriek of pain and anger, more the latter than the former, caused the two to just pause and watch the fire.

The blaze was intense enough that after a moment, the building’s anti-fire measures kicked in. Chemical foam sprayed down from the ceiling, swiftly extinguishing the blaze. Caprice staggered out of the smoke.

“You fucking bitch!” She screamed in rage, any of her earlier flirtatiousness completely gone. Despite her rage, the redness of her burnt skin and blackened remains of her hair diminished any sense of intimidation from her. Kirika actually struggled to keep a straight face, and even Shirabe’s lips curled upwards in amusement. But Caprice paid no attention to the adaptors’ facial expressions. “Do you have **_ANY _**idea how much effort I put into those incendiary grenades! They’re _my _bombs, and they detonate when _I _want them too!”

In a single smooth motion, she cracked open her launcher’s drum, and seized one grenade in particular off of her nanosuit’s vest to load into it. The round was painted with yellow stripes and Shirabe’s sharp eyes briefly caught the english letters ‘WARNING: Micro-PFW, ENSURE MINIMUM SAFE DISTANCE’ spelled out on it. The amusement dropped from her face, and the Shul-Shagana user tensed. Whatever that yellow-striped round was, it couldn’t be good.

Caprice levelled her launcher again, although both Kirika and Shirabe could tell it was more just pointed in their direction down the hall. But before she could pull the trigger, the Italian’s nanosuit commbead crackled in her ear. _“This is Red Unit. Whiskey-November-Three, negative PFW authorization. Disengage, assist Whiskey-November-Five egress.”_

“Fuck no!” Caprice spat back. “She thinks she can mess with my artwork like that?! Make a fool of me?! I’ll-”

_“Whiskey-November-Three,” _The harsh mechanical voice of Red Unit cut her off._ “PFW initiation remote blocked. Comply with orders or disciplinary measures will be taken. Confirm.”_

Caprice grit her teeth, lowering her launcher slightly. “Whiskey-November-Three confirms.” She forced a smile back onto her face as she detached a smoke grenade from her belt. “Well, looks like I’ll have to cut our date short. But don’t worry, _ci rivediamo_.”

She popped the ring off the canister, thick white smoke quickly enveloping her.

“Get back here!” Kirika shouted, charging back down the hallway. “I want to know-”

The Igalima wielder was interrupted by the phonic gain-infused claymore Caprice left hidden in the smoke as she departed detonating, hurling the blonde backwards. Shirabe leapt forward and caught her. “Kiri-chan? Are you okay?!”

“Yeah…” Kirika replied after a moment.

“Why are you so hasty about this?!” Shirabe asked, uncharacteristically raising her voice. “You’ve seen how she lays those traps!”

Kirika averted her eyes. Great, she made Shirabe worry about her. “Yeah, you’re right… I’m sorry.”

A moment of silence hung over the two before Shirabe pulled Kirika in closer, fully embracing her. “I don’t want to lose you, Kiri-chan. Please, don’t go alone.”

Kirika swallowed the lump in her throat as she returned the hug. “I won’t, I promised after all.”

They remained there a moment, drawing comfort and warmth from each other. Finally, they broke the embrace.

“Come on.” Kirika said, turning the way Caprice had gone. “We’ve gotta help Hibiki and Miku.”

—

“Very good, God-Slayer.” Darmawan complimented. “I believe this is… what, the fifth time you’ve destroyed my gauntlets in this fight? Very impressive. However…” As before, the nanomachines reformed his gauntlets almost instantaneously. He clenched his fists and ran towards the Gungnir girl. “You’ll have to do better!” 

Hibiki didn’t bother saying anything, instead preparing to block the incoming attack. It seemed as though Darmawan was just trying to wear her down at this point. The muscle-builder was like an impenetrable fortress; nothing got past his defenses. Meanwhile, every mistake she made, no matter how slight, was punished with more pain. She needed to end this quickly before he wore her down completely.

Thankfully, Hibiki knew a sure-fire way to beat an opponent that could tank her punches: punch him extra hard! 

When Darmawan went for his first punch, Hibiki dodged the attack and aimed a kick at Darmawan’s shin. Using his superhuman reflexes, he managed to avoid her attack by lifting his foot away. Then, abandoning his initial punch, he came at her with a powerful left hook. 

But Hibiki was ready for it. She ducked again and moved inside his guard, taking advantage of her much smaller size. She rammed into him shoulder-first and sent the large man sprawling onto a pile of rubble. 

Darmawan quickly got up out of the rubble and stood up, ready for the onslaught he expected. But rather than follow up on her advantage, Hibiki had instead used the counterattack to put some distance between herself and him. But why…? 

“Darmawan!” Hibiki shouted as the machinery around her fist grew even larger in size. Newly formed giant rockets coming out of the sides of the fist fired, as if she were a great car revving up. “This fist is my final attack! My Armed Gear! If you truly care about strength, then let’s see if you can handle my everything!”

Darmawan shook his head. So she wanted to bring this to a close? Fair enough. It wasn’t like she would be able to hold out against his endurance. And what kind of opponent would he be if he didn’t meet her head-on? “Alright then,” he said with a calmness that belied his anticipation. “Let’s see.”

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Hibiki kia’d as the inner workings of her rocket fist spun into action.

“Mmmmmmmmmmh!” Darmawan channeled all of his body’s phonic gain into his right fist. Responding to the increased strength, the nanomachine gauntlet warped, causing it to grow four sizes. The liquidy-metallic substance it was made of rippled as if it were more like a muscle than a hunk of solid metal. He ran at Hibiki with the speed of a locomotive.

“ORRRAAAAAAAAA!” Hibiki yelled as she came at the Indonesian brawler. Her fist rockets fired, pistons spun, and energy crackled as she launched herself towards her opponent.

“HAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Darmawan responded in kind with his own fist.

The results were immediate. Hibiki’s rocket punch struggled against Darmawan’s gauntlet-covered fist for a moment before a resounding crack rang through the air and she blasted past him. Hibiki stopped her movement, several meters away from where she originally was, her fist returning to normal. Then, she heard Darmawan’s scream of pain and turned around. 

The man’s arm was not so much broken as it was crushed. Darmawan’s entire right arm was bloody and naked, the nanosuit and gauntlet burned off by the sheer force of Hibiki’s punch. Although the suit could regenerate, it did nothing for the arm, which resembled an accordion in how many ways it bent. The man was on his knees and howling in pain like a wild animal. The sight of his arm alone almost made Hibiki gag. Had she just done something like that to another human being? She forced herself to put those ideas out of her mind. 

“I’ve beaten you. If you don’t want to get hurt any more, then surrender and allow yourself to be taken into custody,” Hibiki forced her voice to sound firm.

“Ah. I guess… you have beaten me, this time.” Darmawan managed to say through gritted teeth and tearful eyes. “This pain is worse than any I’ve felt before… and yet, I feel nostalgic. It reminds me of my first loss, in the bout I had with your Master.” 

Hibiki gritted her teeth. “Then why? If you respected him so much, then why did you join the people who killed him?” 

Darmawan smiled. “You don’t understand. I may have respected the man’s prowess, but I never had any strong feelings about him as a person. This was never about beating him or even beating you. It was about beating my weaker self. To… to prove that I’m not weak.”

“And joining the Four Horsemen, fighting against us… that’s your way of proving yourself?”

“Yes. When you are on the pinnacle of humanity, all that’s left is to go against that which is beyond humanity. The Four Horsemen’s goal of destroying the supernatural was simply aligned with my own.”

“But we’re both humans!” Hibiki shouted at the man. “It’s the strength of the bonds between us that allow us to grow stronger!”

At this, Darmawan guffawed. “Ha! You really think so? You really think you and your friends are going to just live your idyllic lives, as if you hadn’t just killed Shem-Ha? Destroyed Balal and Yggdrasil? You really think your actions have no consequences? I guess that kind of arrogance is expected, coming from a budding goddess.” 

Before Hibiki could question him on that, a rifle shot cracked out over the more distant sound of grasers and coilguns. The phonic-gain charged round slammed down into Hibiki’s head, tossing her away. As the Gungnir user leapt back to her feet, the weight of the Automen’s attacks shifted away from Miku, the bulk of the androids beginning to come and attack her. From atop one of the factory rooftops, a familiar figure clad in his own nanosuit leapt down next to Darmawan. The figure grabbed the Indonesian’s left hand and carefully pulled him up. 

“You look like hell, _tovarishch_,” Kir Voronin said to the wincing Indonesian fighter. “But don’t worry: the cavalry’s here!”

\----

**Next Chapter: **Marching Toward the Future

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Shenshoujing: a weapon to surpass Metal Gear. Or perhaps Ichaival fits that better? Gungnir? Ame No Habakiri? Eh… maybe we’ll just say Symphogears in general.
> 
> I spend astonishingly a lot of time on Google maps, making sure I get these approximate geographic regions right, even if I then usually leave the precise geographic location a bit more vague.
> 
> If some of you find the exchange between Hibiki and Miku just before the mission starts familiar, that is because it is an altered version of a discussion they have in one of the more high-profile XDU events. The one where Hibiki discusses with Miku how worried she is that Miku is going off into an alternate universe by herself to save an alternate version of Hibiki and Miku points out that this is a turn around of their usual dynamic. The similarity of the two situations makes it pretty much a no brainer to steal and mutilate… I mean, use for inspiration! Yeah, that’s the ticket.
> 
> Have I mentioned that I find writing the Geah’s going no-holds-bar on conventional(ish) military forces really fun? Because I do find it really fun.


	16. Marching Towards the Future

Distortions  
Chapter 16:  
Marching Towards The Future

\----

“**Voronin!**” Hibiki shouted as she shattered another Automan. Two more took its place ready to fight.

“Ah, God Slayer!” The sniper called back in slight amusement as he detached a smoke canister from his belt. “I’d love to put a bullet in your head and take your title for myself.” He popped the ring. “Unfortunately, I can’t stick around. Orders are orders. Say hello to the little gunner for me!”

The smoke from Voronin’s canister curled around both him and Darmawan, swiftly obscuring them from view. Knowing they were gone, Hibiki concentrated on the more imminent issue: the army of Automen descending upon her. Their coilguns and graser shots stung her, and though they shattered and shredded under her fists, there were always more and more and more…

A torrent of purple beams scythed through those Automen immediately surrounding her, clearing for her some breathing room. In spite of her growing exhaustion, a smile split the Gungnir user’s face. “Miku!”

“I’m here, Hibiki!” The Shenshoujing wielder called as she carved her own path through the swarms of Automen back towards the chestnut-haired girl’s side. From out of the office building’s second floor, two more familiar figures leapt out, sunlight glinting off of a scythe and a pair of sawblades.

“Kirika! Shirabe!” Hibiki shouted as she smashed two androids into one another.

“Is Caprice here?!” Kirika shouted, cutting an Automan’s head off as she landed. “She ran from us!”

“Haven’t seen her!” Miku replied.

Shirabe bisected four Automen at once with her sawblades. “Darmawan?!”

“Down an arm!” Hibiki shouted back. “Voronin showed up, grabbed him, and ran!”

“Then I guess all that’s left are these small fry!” Kirika concluded. She fired her rocket boosters and swung Igalima horizontally, becoming a whirling green ** _Tinkerbell_ **. The Automen around her were reduced to their base components before they could even react.

Igalima scythed, Shul-Shagana cut, Shenshoujing blasted, and Gungnir smashed. The air filled with the grinding of metal on metal, the rhythmic cracks of coil guns, and the hissing of grasers. Purple flashes of magi-light, soul-cutting blades, and fist-generated shockwaves met electromagnetically-accelerated sabots and beams of gamma radiation. The battle between four supergirls and an army of androids was a torrent of fury that shattered the front of every building facing the helipad.

The end, when it finally came, was surprisingly sudden. Hibiki shattered the last Automan’s body and glanced around for more only to find none. The girls looked around, not quite believing it was over. After the cacophony of battle, the sudden silence seemed deafening in a completely different way.

“Miku?” Hibiki turned to her girlfriend. “Are you okay? I saw the Automen going after you and-”

“I’m fine, Hibiki.” The black-haired girl nodded, patting the Gungnir user on the shoulder comfortingly. “I was able to hold my own until the army diverted towards you.”

Hibiki let loose a sigh of relief and felt a little guilty. Was this really how Miku felt every time she had come back from fighting, all the way back before Shem-Ha? She shoved that aside. That was in the past. She and Miku could look out for each other now. Instead, she looked to her other friends. “Shirabe, Kirika. Are you okay?”

“We’re okay!” Kirika answered.

Shirabe nodded quietly in agreement. “We managed to drive off Caprice. Although I think we also upset her a fair bit.”

Miku shrugged, “Well, given what Tsubasa and Maria have said about her, I don’t think anyone at SONG will mind that too much.”

“Maria…” Shirabe muttered, her eyes widening in alarm. “Oh no, Maria!”

Hibiki quickly activated her communicator. “Maria? Director Ogawa? Can you hear me? Do you need any help?”

There were several moments of static, but just before Miku was going to suggest they start to head back, they finally got a reply. “We’re fine!” Maria’s voice echoed out of their communicators. She also sounded slightly winded. “I managed to deal with all the Automen attacking us. Director Ogawa’s in contact with the SDF and the rest of SONG. They’re on the way to the facility right now.”

Everyone let out one last sigh of relief.

“We won?” Kirika asked, glancing around at the shattered helipad, littered with android parts. A grin shot across her face and she leapt forward to glomp Shirabe. “We won! We kicked the White Noise’s butts, and their androids too!”

Miku and Hibiki exchanged their own smiles, although they were marred by tiredness. Even through the Symphogear armor, the two felt more than a bit sore. They needed to relax a bit after such a hard fought victory. Then Miku recalled something Hibiki mentioned just before the mission. Keying her communicator, she began. “So, Hibiki noticed there were some hot springs in the area…”

\----

Dai Yoshimura prided himself on being the manager of the best hot spring resort between Mount Takanosu to the north and Mount Gozenyama to the south. Sure, it may be a small reference pool, but if he could be the best in the locale, that was good enough for him. And he believed a key part of that was scheduling. With a good schedule, all else fell into place. That’s why he made sure his place was reservation only.

Still didn’t make putting up these really long posters any easier, he groused to himself as he wrestled with just that.

“Excuse me.” A female voice spoke up behind him. It was familiar somehow. “We were in the area and were wondering if we could use your hot spring and maybe get dinner?”

“Do you have a reservation?” Yoshimura asked. Though he kept his own voice polite, he frowned to himself a little as he tried to place her voice. Maybe she had been a previous customer?

“Erm… I’m afraid we don’t.”

He finished putting up the poster and started to turn around. “My apologies, but we’re a reservation only res-” He froze mid-answer as he stared at the five girls now standing in front of him. “Y-y-y-you’re…”

“Ah, I’m sorry. We were hoping to get some relaxation in, but we don’t want to impose if you’re reservation only.” _ The _ Maria Cadenzavna Eve finished. Behind her, _ the _ Hibiki Tachibana, _ the _ Miku Kohinata, _ the _ Kirika Akatsuki, and _ the _Shirabe Tsukuyomi all sighed in disappointment and turned to leave.

“M-my own apologies!” Yoshimura positively stumbled over his words in his rush to correct himself. He couldn’t let this chance slip through his fingers! “D-Did I say we were r-reservation only?! I’m sorry but I’m used to the old schedule! We just changed that policy today!”

And just like that, the entire group brightened up, although Maria looked a bit perplexed by his sudden change in attitude. Yoshimura made a quick mental note that once the Symphogears were checked in to immediately call the rest of the available staff together to inform them that their new guests had maximum priority. Inconveniences to the schedule be damned, being able to tell people_ five-times world saviors _ had attended his resort was all the advertising he could ever ask for. He’d have to post this on social media, update the website, and commission new posters!

Oh sweet Buddha, he’d have to commission new posters… 

—

Kirika sighed happily as she sank down into the hot spring, letting all of her worries and concerns be washed away, along with any dirt from the battle. Not to mention the dry splotches of staple blood she kept hidden under her clothes.

“It feels so nice…” Shirabe murmured next to her, leaning against her girlfriend and closing her eyes. Under the water, Kirika’s hand slid around the black-haired girls waist and pulled her in closer, cuddling up beside her.

“Don’t fall asleep in the host spring!” Maria called over, pausing to dump water over herself, washing away the soap before continuing her admonishment. “You don’t want to catch a cold!”

“We won’t.” The Zababa couple replied in the typical tone of children not-quite-paying attention to their mother’s fussing.

From across the tub, Hibiki smiled. It was always nice to see her friends just relaxing.

“Did you remember to order dinner, Hibiki?” Miku asked next to her.

“Yup!” The chestnut haired girl replied. “And I even remembered to request your shaved ice this time!” Hibiki leaned back with a satisfied sigh. “This was a really great idea.”

Miku blushed slightly, fiddling with her hands. “It was your idea, first.”

With a slight splash, Maria slid into the water over by Kirika and Shirabe, although she gave the two some space for themselves. The Pinkette glanced between the Zababa couple on the one side and Hibiki and Miku on the other and felt a pang of slight jealousy. As happy as she was for the two couples, she wished she could have come here with Tsubasa. Well, the bluenette would be home soon. Maybe then?

Everyone lapsed into a comfortable silence after that, taking the time to simply enjoy the spring and each other's company. The only sound in the air was the dripping of heated water.

“I’m sorry Hibiki.” Miku suddenly started after a few minutes.

“Eh?” The chestnut haired girl blinked. “For what?”

“I got so tied up fighting all those Automen that I couldn’t help you against Darma-.”

Hibiki cut her off. “But you did help me! How much tougher do you think it would have been if I had to fight Darmawan while all those Automen were shooting me or otherwise trying to gang-up with him? Or for Shirabe and Kirika fighting Caprice, if that’s who they went after instead.” She smiled at her girlfriend brilliantly, throwing her arms around her in a sudden hug. “And you managed to handle them all by yourself! Not to mention everything that came before! I’m proud of you!”

“Hibiki…” Miku murmured softly, her own chest filled with warmth at the praise. Her girlfriend was right. She did it. It was as flawless a mission as any of them could have hoped for. They’d brought down a Horsemen facility, saved at least some lives, and even put one of the White Noise out of commission. Not to mention, it felt _ really _nice to have Hibiki pressed up against her like this… 

“Besides, ** _you _ **didn’t get knocked over by a railgun round to the stomach. That really took the wind out of me!” Hibiki continued nonchalantly.

And just like that, Miku’s good feelings were replaced by worry. “What?!” She abruptly turned and grabbed Hibiki, wiggling her way out of the hug. “Oh, no! Hibiki, is it going to bruise?! Let me see…”

“Ah, wait, Miku! That tickles!” Hibiki began as Miku manhandled - woman-handled? - her up onto the bath side. Her embarrassment mixed with laughter, which only magnified her embarrassment as it drew the attention of the other three.

“Um… Hibiki.” Miku’s brow furrowed as she inspected her girlfriends stomach. She couldn’t find any sign of the supposed railgun impact Hibiki mentioned. She backed off slightly, so Hibiki could actually manage a reply instead of constantly giggling. “Where did it hit you again?”

“Right about…” Wiping away a tear of laughter, Hibiki glanced down and the smile fell off her face. “Huh?” Where there should have been a red-turning-black welt upon her stomach, instead there was nothing but her usual ab muscles looking healthy as always. “Umm… maybe it didn’t hit me as hard as I thought?”

Maria looked across the bath at Hibiki thoughtfully, then her eyes moved first to Miku, then over to Shirabe and Kirika. It took a moment for her to realize that her inspections might be taken the wrong way, so she swiftly spoke up. “Did all of you manage to avoid the Automen’s graser weapons?”

“Nah.” Kirika answered first, “I took something like several dozen. I think the first one was…” She glanced down at her arm and found nothing. “Huh?” She looked over at Shirabe, checking for any sign of the burns. “Shirabe, didn’t you take any?”

“I know I took a bad one right about-eh?” The Shul-Shagana user glanced down at her side, only to see her usual, unblemished skin.

Everyone inspected themselves.

Hibiki’s brow furrowed as she checked herself over, finding no signs of the previous graser impacts she took during the fight. Or even so much as a scratch from the rockets, for that matter. “How long does it take for a light burn to heal again?”

“Three days minimum, twenty days maximum.” Maria answered as she looked over her own body, yet not finding any sign she had ever been in a fight at all. “But it hasn’t even been a quarter day. How could this be?”

\----

There is a phrase some people like to say: “Pain is weakness leaving the body”.

As a professional strength builder, Darmawan knew that ‘some people’ were morons. Pain is a signal from the body that something is wrong and you should stop doing it. One didn’t get stronger through self-destruction. Of course, training for combat had altered his view slightly. One should never view pain as a positive, but in a fight to the death, one had to occasionally accept pain and push through it.

That was a useful lesson. Without it, he wouldn’t be able to endure the pain he was suffering through right now. Even a full day later, the nerves, those still left intact, were shrieking at him through the painkillers. Still, he soldiered through the pain with the same patience he displayed during weight training.

If the Gungnir wielder thought shattering his arm would deter him from his goals, she was sorely mistaken. He was too strong for that. He would prove it. The others may dance about with their bombs, their sneakiness, their guns, their little tricks. Not him. Build strength upon strength, and then take down challenges head-on. That was his way.

But first, he had to get his arm fixed. That was why he came here. The thump of the VTOL touching down was his prompt to hit the release button on his seatbelt as the door slid open, letting in a blast of dry desert heat. Hauling himself out with his good hand, Darmawan stepped out into the harsh glare of the Australian outback.

His doctor was already waiting for him. Darmawan knew of Professor-312; it was impossible for someone with Darmawan’s level of clearance to not have heard of the man. Darmawan had no doubt that Professor-312 could fix his arm - the man wasn’t Pale Unit’s top biochemist for nothing - but the man’s origins and personality gave the Indonesian brawler plenty of reason to be wary of him.

“Whiskey-November-Five.” 312 greeted politely, his lab coat rustling slightly in the breeze and the sun glaring off his glasses.

“It’s Timoty Darmawan.” The bodybuilder grunted back.

“I know,” The scientist said apologetically. “Unfortunately, my superior is quite insistent on using codenames when outside. We best get indoors as quickly as we can so we can dispense with the formalities. Please, follow me.”

They made rapid time across the airfield, the other personnel giving them a quite deferential berth. As they reached the first structure, there was a shout. “Professor-312! What were you thinking?!” 

Darmawan turned to take in the newcomer. Early-twenties, lilac eyes, long indigo hair. The robot dog following her was interesting, even if its uncannily dog-like behavior was slightly creepy.

As she walked over, she noticed Darmawan and turned towards him. As she spoke to the larger man, her demeanor shifted to be more courteous. “Greetings, Whiskey-November-Five. I heard what happened back in Japan. Hope your arm gets better.” 

Then, without waiting for a response from him, she rounded on Professor-312. “Insemination of an artificial womb with combined reproductive material synthesized from Sierra-One and Four’s genes?! To create _ a Sumphonia test-tube baby _ !? What _ ever _made you think such a proposal would be accepted? Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in? Are you trying to get liquidated?!”

312 just shrugged innocently. “I’m interested in seeing what the offspring of two Sumphonia would be like, One-Forty-Five. Professor-One-Oh-Eight’s hypothesis didn’t say much about that. Would you prefer I use a different combination? Sierra-Two and Seven? Or Five and Six? I even offered suggestions on how we could weaponize the resu-”

“Just stop!” Professor-145 looked like she wanted to hammer her head against the wall. “You should be grateful I quashed this absurdity before the Lamb saw it. I can’t imagine how he’d react to it.” 

“Oh, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” replied Professor-312 with a wave of his hand. “I’m sure he’ll overlook some minor philosophical inconsistencies so long as the results are to his liking.”

Professor-145 growled. “You’re already on thin ice with the others over your proposed modifications to the Double-S Project! God, how could someone so smart be such an idiot?”

“So you _ do _respect my scientific prowess.” The biochemist slyly grinned.

“You arrogant little… you fucking… gah!” The other Pale Unit member threw her hands up in the air in frustration. “Don’t _ ever _try to bring something like this up again in official correspondence!”

With a final huff, the frustrated woman spun around and marched off, her robo-dog pacing after her. “Don’t worry, I’ll behave!” Professor-312 called out to her as she continued walking away. He then punched in a number code to open the door.

“Please don’t mind her.” 312 told Darmawan as he stepped into the building and held the door open for the injured man. “She’s in a different specialization, robotic engineering. I’m afraid the setbacks inflicted by SONG on some of the projects she’s involved with have fouled her mood. She has her mother’s temper and is twice as verbose when it comes to expressing it.” His voice dropped down to a mutter, finally showing some displeasure. “Often she feels like _ my _mother, with the way she scolds me.”

“Hm.” Darmawan grunted as he walked indoors. “So, are you going to fix my arm, Three-Twelve?”

“As I have no interest in being liquidated for disobedience, yes. But please, Mr. Darmawan,” Professor-312 smiled politely as he brushed errant strands of white hair out of the way of his blue eyes. “Professor-Three-Twelve is just my Red Unit codename. When we’re indoors, you can call me Doctor Ver.”

\----

“Do you see it yet?” Hibiki asked. She wasn’t sure how Kirika got the only pair of binoculars, or why they only managed to find a single pair in an entire naval base for that matter. The girls had been waiting for SONG’s submarine base to return for a good quarter-hour by now, eager to see their friends.

“Yes! Yes, I see it!” Kirika exclaimed, leaning forward so much that Shirabe had to grab the blonde by the back of her uniform to stop her from toppling into the water. 

Only a dozen seconds later, the submarine became visible to the naked eye, its massive yet low-slung silhouette pushing swiftly through the water. Excitedly, Hibiki started waving as the vessel approached and pulled alongside the dock.

Chris and Tsubasa were already up and ready to disembark as the vessel’s cargo bays opened up. Both affected an air of nonchalance, but their friends could see both of them were happy to be back. In particular, Chris’s demeanor was ruined immediately as she found herself abruptly sticking an arm out to ward off a patented Hibiki Tachibana flying glomp.

“You dummy, it’s only been a week!” The silver-haired girl snapped. “Don’t you do that enough with your girlfriend anyways?!”

Maria shook her head at the pair’s antics as she gave a more sedate greeting hug to Tsubasa. “How was the mission?”

“Busy.” Tsubasa replied as she returned the hug, more than glad to see the pinkette. “So busy I didn’t get the opportunity to get you any souvenirs.”

Maria smiled as they broke the hug. “It’s fine. Returning home safely is more than enough of a gift for us.”

“And how about yourself? I heard about an incident in training-”

“It’s fine.” Maria paused as she realized she might have cut Tsubasa off a little too quickly there then elaborated. “We’ve had time to work on it since. I think I’m good enough now.”

It was the honest truth. Since the facility raid, Maria thrown herself back into the training, trying to make-up for that breakdown. Having to kill staples, even simulated staples, was still disturbing for her. But she could do it.

“Anything happen with the foundation?”

“Nothing _ too _significant. The board had some investment ideas I had to make decisions on.” Maria replied. “We can go over the details later.”

Tsubasa nodded, then turned to Hibiki and Miku, who were still chatting with Chris. “Hey, Tachibana.” She grinned mischievously, “You won’t believe it, but the Marines started calling Yukine-”

“I wouldn’t do that, senpai.” Chris replied with a warning glare. “Unless you want me to tell them what they nicknamed _ you _.” Tsubasa winced and wisely clammed up.

“You both got cool nicknames?!” Kirika enthused as she glomped Tsubasa. “I want a cool nickname!” Next to her and also hugging Tsubasa, Shirabe nodded her head vigorously in agreement.

“You don’t. You really, really don’t.” Chris deadpanned back, shaking her head.

“I have to agree with Chris on this one.” Miku smiled, “Although I am curious to hear what her nickname is.”

“Too bad.” The Ichaival user was adamant. “I ain’t sayin’ it. It’s embarrassing.”

The voice of Okamura Kohinata spoke-up. “So you two must be the Kazanari and Yukine we’ve heard so much about?”

The adaptors turned to see both Hibiki and Miku’s parents walk up to the group.

“Oh!” Miku glanced between her friends and the four adults. “Ah, Chris, Tsubasa, this is my mother and father, Okamura and Matsura Kohinata.” She looked back to her own mother and father. “Mama, papa, this is Chris Yukine and Tsubasa Kazanari. They were two of my earliest friends at SONG.”

Hibiki motioned to her own parents. “And this is my mother and father, Harumi and Akira Tachibana.”

“A pleasure to meet you.” Tsubasa greeted as she and Chris bowed.

“Oh, rest assured,” Okamura answered, “The pleasure is all ours.”

Akira glanced thoughtfully at Chris as something clicked in his mind. “Yukine, is it? I never got to thank you for saving me from Carol’s Alca-Noise.”

“Eh, it’s what I do.” Chris waved her hand nonchalantly. “I’m just glad to hear you all are okay after last Friday.”

“Oh, yeah!” Hibiki perked up excitedly, reminded by the news. “Guess what? My dad and mom are formally getting back together!”

“Hey, glad to hear it!” Now that was news even Chris could permit herself to smile at. “When’s the ceremony?”

Akira laughed and scratched his head. “We’re still trying to figure out whether we’ll even have a formal ceremony, much less when it is. Current events make it kind of risky.”

“But if we do, you’re invited, of course!” Harumi added. “We couldn’t possibly leave out any of Hibiki’s friends.”

“Thank you. We would be more than happy to accept.” Tsubasa answered. Chris nodded in agreement.

A new voice cut-in. “Apologies for interrupting the reunion.” Everyone turned to face Fujitaka, who had come down from the submarine. “But the commander has called a briefing.”

Matsura frowned slightly, he wanted to get a better idea of his daughter’s earliest friends and coworkers. “Will we have some time available afterwards?”

“Of course.” Fujitaka nodded.

Tsubasa’s smile fell away as she thought about the news that awaited them. She didn’t know how they’d react… for that matter, she still didn’t really know how she should react.

—

“We’re here today to discuss some of the recent revelations we’ve been able to make about the Four Horsemen, their organizational structure, and their projects.” Elfnein said, bringing up pictures of the facilities the Symphogear adaptors had recently raided. “Thanks to our recent successes, we’ve been able to come up with a lot of information.”

“There’s still a lot that has been destroyed or corrupted. The Horsemen’s automatic purge functions are ruthlessly efficient. Fortunately, hitting two facilities back-to-back has helped us cross-reference and fill out more data. ” Tomosato noted. “We have a much better idea of the Four Horsemen as a whole.”

“The leader of the Horsemen is an individual who is referred to only as ‘the Lamb’.” Shinji Ogawa said, the word appearing on top of the main screen.

“Rather a dumb name if you ask me,” Chris muttered, leaning against the wall. “What kinda terrorist leader names himself after a sheep?”

“It’s consistent with the motif.” Elfnein replied. “The Lamb in Revelation is the one who opens the Seven Seals of the Apocalypse.”

Chris paused for a moment. “I stand corrected, then.”

Shirabe put her hand on her chin. “The Seven Seals of the Apocalypse? Are they trying to bring about some apocalypse right now?”

“It’s… unclear at the moment.” Fujitaka answered. “The first four seals are the eponymous Horsemen the organization is named after. White, Red, Black, and Pale. These also are the names of the four major ‘units’ that make up the Horsemen themselves.”

“The White Horseman is the first seal,” Commander Ogawa began. A picture of some members of the White Noise as well as a squad of staples appeared on the screen. “The White Horseman is ‘conquest’ and symbolized the spread of Christianity around the world. As the combat arm of the organization, this would be the unit responsible for the terrorist attacks they carry out to enforce their ideological beliefs. The White Noise, the Automen, and the staples operate under the ‘White Unit’ umbrella” 

“Basically, what we’ve been fighting against up until now.” Tsubasa summarised.

“White Unit, and indeed the entire organization, is controlled and coordinated by the Red Unit.” Commander Ogawa continued. He glanced at his elder brother. “And if the conversation you overheard during our last operation is any indication, it isn’t a group of people or even human at all, but a superintelligent artificial intelligence.”

“Clones, Korean ninjas, ‘droids, energy weapons, and now a HAL 9000 knock-off. Great.” Chris grumbled.

Elfnein, on the other hand, looked like she had an epiphany. “A high technological superintelligence?! That’s a potential explanation for the Horsemen’s technological innovations. Such an entity would be able to assist research at an incredible rate! Not to mention the cyberwarfare capabilities… they’d be able to run circles around any firewall in the world.”

“Well, that explains how they were able to hack into SONG’s computers and dox us.” Shirabe thought out loud.

“Obvious question: where did they get it?” Maria interjected. “Last I checked, AI technology research had been in a rut since the mid-2030s.”

“Sefer Hachaim, maybe?” Fujitaka offered. “I mean, we’ve ruled out them using the relic itself, and even just the record would be impossible for any high technology device to handle. But perhaps a pertinent section of the record that dealt with such technology allowed them a solution to the programming problems?”

“That still wouldn’t explain how any of it survived Balal exploding, much less how they got their hands on it.” Chris pointed out. Fujitaka shrugged, conceding the point.

“I can’t help but feel as if we’re missing something obvious on that front.” Miku mused. “Something else.” She shook her head. “Maybe it’s just me.”

“Whatever the case, the third seal is the Black Horseman. Or Black Unit in this case.“ Commander Ogawa continued. “They’re the production and logistics arm of the Horsemen.”

Tsubasa thought back to the immense underground production networks of the Panau facility. “The facilities we’ve stormed both seemed to have been production centers.”

“They were. Those facilities were mostly dedicated to the Black Unit’s operations. But Black Unit doesn’t just handle manufacturing and transport either.” Fujitaka confirmed. “We’ve pulled information from both facilities on investments made into a number of reasonably large companies. It seems Black Unit is the reason why the Horsemen are able to afford the materials they need to buy to make their weaponry.”

Kirika had an “ah-ha” face as she put her fist into the palm of her other hand. “That explains what happened at the Tokyo facility. The soldiers weren’t attacking their own people. They were eliminating innocent pawns.”

“The survivors from the second facility weren’t aware of who they were working for.” Director Ogawa affirmed. “They believed they worked for a legitimate robotics company.”

“Technically speaking, they are correct. The companies’ day-to-day operations are legitimate. That’s how Black Unit operates: using the front companies as a cover for their misdeeds while using their profits and manufactured goods, all the while exploiting unsuspecting, honest workers.” Tomosato replied, she glanced over at Tsubasa. “We still haven’t found any evidence they are behind Lifewyze yet, although the timing of that company’s rise _ is _pretty suspicious.”

Tsubasa nodded. “We should continue the investigation. It would fit Black Unit’s MO too well.”

Hibiki said nothing but tightened her fist. The Four Horsemen treated innocent people as resources to use? She didn’t want to believe it, but it fit the facts. The same Black Unit that dealt with turning raw materials into killing machines also turned people into unwitting money machines that could be disposed of at a moment’s notice. She wondered if she or her friends had purchased a product that was actually manufactured by the Horsemen. Wasn’t there some sort of saying involving people paying for their own hanging rope that fit here?

“The fourth seal is the Pale Horseman. The Pale Unit is the research and development department.” Elfnein explained. “And out of the four units, I consider them to be the most dangerous. They are the minds behind the technological advancements the Four Horsemen have made. Fittingly, the Pale Horseman is called ‘death’ in the Book of Revelation. I’ll be going over their projects in a little bit, as they are of the utmost importance.”

Tsubasa recalled the laboratory she had found in Panau and how it was labelled a ‘Pale Unit Sub-section’. She thought about the clones and the experimental logs Elfnein had shown her detailing what they did to those clones. Involuntarily, she shuddered.

“The Fifth Seal,” Commander Ogawa continued, “is the group that attempted to kidnap the Tachibanas.”

“Heh, I heard you put ‘em through a windshield.” Chris grinned over at Hibiki. “Good job.”

But the Gungnir user glanced away. “I was angry. Angrier than I had been against any other foe we ever faced. The thought of them doing anything to my family, of hurting people that close to me yet again... if mama hadn’t called out to me at that moment, I don’t know what I would’ve done to them.”

Chris put her hand on Hibiki reassuringly, a gesture the latter seemed to appreciate.

“Thanks to some very insightful conversations I had with the attempted kidnappers, we were able to gain greater insight on how the Fifth Seal operates.” Director Ogawa spoke up. “From what we know, they are the Horsemen’s network of spies and human collaborators who don’t really fall into the other units. Essentially, the Four Horsemen find normal people who may be sympathetic to their cause and recruit them into a self-contained cell. Each cell is independent and operates on a need-to-know basis so that if one of them is captured, the rest of the organization won’t be compromised. Red Unit coordinates and issues orders to each cell, giving them simple and usually dedicated tasks.”

“In the Book of Revelation, the Fifth Seal was the Christian martyrs, the ones who died for the faith.” Elfnein exposited. “Given how consistent the Horsemen have been with their motif, I think we can all guess their views of the Fifth Seal operatives.”

“Either pawns, true believers, or both.” Maria muttered.

“So that’s what we’ve been able to uncover about the structure of the Four Horsemen as an organization.” Fujitaka added.

“Wait.” Miku immediately pointed out. “Weren’t there ‘Seven Seals of the Apocalypse?’ You’ve only named five.”

“Well, the sixth and seventh seals aren’t described as individuals or groups in the Book of Revelation.” Elfnein answered. “They were events. And indeed, the records we’ve recovered do make mentions of a ‘Sixth Seal’ as something the Horsemen appear to be working towards. Whatever it is, we don’t know for sure.” She frowned. “There isn’t anything about a Seventh Seal that has been mentioned so far, though.”

“Any indication of what the Sixth Seal is?” Commander Ogawa asked.

“Well, the Biblical description indicates it’s some sort of great catastrophe.” Elfnein mused. “A great day of wrath where the stars fall to the ground and the earth shakes. Interestingly, one modern interpretation of the passage says that it prophesies a future nuclear holocaust.”

Tsubasa abruptly straightened up. “You don’t think… the mysterious ‘Chinese’ and ‘American’ units that fired upon each other were actually part of the Horsemen’s Sixth Seal?”

“Well, a global thermonuclear war between America and China would certainly spell the end of SONG.” Fujitaka observed. “And probably a good chunk of humanity as well.”

“Could this entire ‘destroy all supernatural’ ideology be a fig leaf for world conquest?” Maria spoke up. “Something like Dr. Ver’s idea: destroy human civilization with a fiery apocalyptic event, and then recreate the world in your own image.”

“Yeah, that totally makes sense.” Chris agreed. “Hell, eliminating us and our relics might be their way of getting rid of resistance to their future rule.”

But Tomosato shook her head. “No, they do seem to be serious about destroying the supernatural. There’s simply too much evidence pointing in that direction. Like this part of the list we managed to pull from the second facility, even if the full list was damaged.”

On the screen, a series of names popped up.

_ Trident of Poseidon - Liquidated, White Unit  
_ _ Armonica - Liquidated, White Unit  
_ _ Nehushtan - Liquidated, SONG  
_ _ Solomon - Liquidated, SONG  
_ _ Argus Eye - Location Identified, Inaccessible  
_ _ Brisingamen - Location Identified, Accessible  
_ _ Hermes Sword - Liquidated, White Unit  
_ _ Carbuncle - Liquidated, White Unit  
_ _ Gjallarhorn - Location Identified, Accessible  
_ _ Grauswein - Location Identified, Accessible  
_ _ Annabelle - Location Identified, Accessible  
_ _ G’harne - Location Identified, Accessible  
_ _ Gram - Liquidated, White Unit _

“It’s a list of relics.” Kirika observed. “But what does ‘liquidated’ mean?”

“‘Liquidate’ is an old euphemism for killing or destroying something.” Elfnein informed. “The Horsemen seem to favor it a lot.”

“So wait, by my count that means they’ve successfully destroyed just over thirty-eight percent of the relics on this list.” Maria observed. “Discounting Nehushtan and Solomon brings that up to just under half. Assuming the same proportion applies to the full list, then the Horsemen have already tracked down and destroyed half the relics left on Earth.”

Commander Ogawa frowned. “Yes. We’ve received word from German officials that an Illuminati splinter group called the Eclectic Alliance was wiped out by the Four Horsemen over the weekend. All of the members and their families were found dead, and the relic this group possessed was completely disintegrated. There’s evidence to suggest that the members of White Noise were involved.”

“So targeting us and our loved ones isn’t the only thing the White Noise does.” Chris muttered. 

Fujitaka continued, “But the point is that the amount of resources they devote to tracking down and destroying these independent relics means expending tons of resources for nothing. If it was pure selfishness at work here, they’d be taking these relics for their own use, not destroying them. Whether they wish to rule the world or not, their desire to destroy the supernatural appears genuine and separate from that. Not to mention the information on the research projects we’ve recovered…”

On screen, a list of scientific projects, some with English names, popped up.

“The Automen were a result of Project 54R301.” Elfnein observed, highlighting the names as she mentioned them. “It’s the biggest stretch of their ideological philosophy we’ve identified so far, since they reverse-engineered non-alchemical Autoscorer parts to create them. We found the alchemical parts in a scrap heap. The process by which they were separated would have been deliberately wasteful if not for their anti-supernatural ideology. In any case, the information we’ve recovered indicates that there are actually a series of different Automen models - the Horsemen use the term ‘concepts’ - that have been developed.”

“So there’s versions of those things we haven’t encountered yet.” Chris grimaced. “Fantastic.”

“Yeah,” Kirika groaned. “Those laser-beams they shot at us _ hurt _.”

“They’re grasers, technically.” Elfnein corrected. “Those models use gamma radiation produced by miniature nuclear fusion reactors to fire a beam of pure gamma radiation. Although I’m curious as to how they overcame the incompatibility between gamma ray amplification and acquiring sufficient nuclear inversion.” 

Everyone stared at her blankly.

“Nevermind. Rather more concerning is Project 01D666-” Elfnein interrupted herself with a giggle. “Sorry, I just thought of something Carol probably would have said about that designation. Anyways, codenamed ‘Wormwood’. Its stated purpose is to develop a high-technological weapon capable of killing a Custodian using Shem-Ha’s maximum power as a baseline.”

“Seriously?!” Chris couldn’t help it. She started laughing. “Shem-Ha… AT FULL POWER?! We fought her at _ one ten-thousandth _ of _ a percent _ of her max power and almost lost! Who do they think they are kidding?!”

“The leading concept - concept one - is to shoot a black hole at them.” Tomosato answered, her tone deathly serious.

Chris abruptly stopped laughing, instead staring at Tomosato in disbelief. After a long moment, the Ichaival user finally asked incredulously. “They’d… how do they… would that** _ even work_**?!”

Elfnein shrugged. “The Horsemen seem to think so, based on what we’ve been able to recover. We managed to retrieve accompanying equations that form the mathematical basis for the theory behind such a weapon.” Her eyebrows creased worryingly. “I only understood around a quarter of it. And I couldn’t begin to estimate how much of what I did understand would advance humanity’s understanding of quantum gravitational physics if we were to publish it.”

“A Custodian’s power is immense, but still finite. The same cannot be said for the gravitational forces of a spacetime singularity.” Fujitaka said. Everyone stared at him for a moment. “A line in one of the research notes we recovered that stuck out to me.”

Maria crossed her arms. “Well, they certainly don’t do things halfway, I’ll give them that.” 

“No.” Elfnein grimly said as she highlighted the next project on the list. “They don’t.”

“Project 51E141, codenamed ‘Sabin’.” Shinji Ogawa stated solemnly. “Almost all of the information on this project has been scrubbed, in both facilities. All we know is its objective: to develop a mass-production weapon specifically designed to kill Symphogears adaptors. Some of the reports we’ve recovered indicate it’s close to completion, and they’ve assigned it maximum priority.”

“They want us dead that badly?” Hibiki asked, her voice filled in disbelief. “So badly they’d build something specifically designed to hurt us? Our relics, sure, but why _ us? _Why do they want to kill us so badly?”

Tsubasa and Elfnein looked at each other. “Go ahead,” the blue-haired girl said. “It’s time they all knew.”

“Oi.” Chris looked back and forth between her senpai and the diminutive alchemist. “Is this that thing you didn’t want to tell me about earlier?” 

“All bridge crew personnel, save Elfnein, Fujitaka, Tomosato, and my brother are to leave immediately.” Commander Ogawa ordered. “This information is exclusive to us and the adaptors until further notice.”

Some surprised murmuring filtered through the bridge as the lower ranking personnel hesitated for a moment, not quite believing that there was anything so secret that they couldn’t be trusted with it. But Commander Ogawa just stared down at them all, his expression becoming almost as steely as his brothers. Quietly, the crew stood up and filtered out. As the door slid shut behind them, Ogawa glanced over at Elfnein and nodded. “Show them.”

A widescreen image taken of the Pale Unit lab Tsubasa found flashed up on the screen. The reactions were abrupt. Hibiki’s jaw dropped. Shirabe and Kirika clutched each other. Fujitaka looked like he wanted to pass out. Tomosato jerked back. Even Souji looked taken aback. Tsubasa simply bowed her head and squeezed her eyes shut.

“**_SERENA?!_**” Maria’s scream was so loud everyone in the room would have winced if they were not in such a state of shock.

“Is that us?!” Miku asked, not _q__uite _ as loudly.

“Buddha preserve us!” Chris swore. “What the _ fuck _is this?!”

“Are those… an evil clone army?!” Kirika asked frightfully as she clung to her girlfriend.

“Not an army.” Elfnein corrected sadly. “Control groups. Baselines. Bio-samples. These clones were specifically created to be test subjects. As far as we’ve been able to tell, they are all brain dead.”

“What kind of experiment would require clones of my _ dead little sister_?!” Maria hadn’t felt this mentally lost since the Frontier Incident.

Elfnein winced, looking like she wanted to be doing anything else. “They used the clones in many different experiments. However, they were primarily used in Project 13B545, a project undertaken to confirm a scientific hypothesis. I believe the findings of this experiment form the justification for their personal attacks on the adaptors.” At Elfnein’s signal, the screen showcased one word in all-caps and bold font.

“Sumphonia?” Hibiki read aloud.

“The head of the Four Horsemen’s Pale Unit, Professor One-Oh-Eight, has hypothesized that, with the destruction of Balal and Yggdrasil, synchronization between the adaptors and the relics that form the core of their Symphogears will lead to the transformation of the adaptors into a new subspecies of humanity dubbed _ Homo sapien sumphonia._ When fully actualized, this new subspecies would be considered ‘godlike’ compared to normal humans - biological immunity to all diseases, enhanced physiology, and even immortality are possible features. And that’s just what we’ve been able to gather from his incomplete notes.”

“Custodians.” The realization filled Chris with horror. “They think _ we’re _becoming Custodians. That we’re all… we’re all baby Shem-Has!”

“Yes,” Elfnein said softly. “Professor One-Oh-Eight’s research seems only to confirm such suspicions, and, as galling as it is, it appears he’s the world’s foremost expert on the Symphogear. I haven’t managed to find a single flaw in any of his insights into the system, at least not among what we have managed to recover. There were some details he pointed out that even I didn’t know about until I double-checked them against the system.”

“How is that even possible?” Tomosato asked. “You have the notes belonging to Ryouko Sakurai, the inventor. You’ve figured out more about the Symphogears than she had.” Elfnein just shrugged.

“We’re not going to remain human?” Kirika’s voice quivered, her thoughts flashing back to when she believed Finé was going to take over her body. “We’re… we’re not going to be ourselves anymore?”

Shirabe hugged the blonde, but this time it was for her own comfort as much as Kirika’s. The thought that her friends, her Kirika would become something else sent chills down her spine.

“Oh god.” Chris muttered, raising her hand to her mouth as she staggered at the thoughts flying through her head. The Ichaival user wanted to throw-up. “It’s the fusion incident all over again. Except it’s happening to _ all _of us.”

Dead silence fell, a choking atmosphere of gloom and despair hung over the room. Then Hibiki spoke up, her voice filled with steel. “No. I don’t believe it.”

Everyone turned in surprise to stare at her. The Gungnir user had drawn herself up and was glaring at the word up on the screen as if it would set it on fire.

“What do you mean don’t believe it?!” Chris snapped. “Do you think Elfnein’s playing a practical joke on us or something?”

“That’s not what I mean!” Hibiki shot back. She turned to her girlfriend. “Miku, do you remember the last thing Shem-Ha said to us?”

Miku stared back for a moment in confusion before what Hibiki meant clicked in her mind. “Then fulfill your duty,” She repeated aloud. “Because you now control the future.”

“Exactly.” Hibiki said. “_ We _ control our future now. Not the custodians, not the alchemists, not...” She waved her hand at the viewscreen. “Whatever this is. We might become something else, but we’ll never let it control us. We’ll still be people in the end. We’ll still be _ ourselves _in the end, not whatever the Horsemen think we will become!”

There was a long silence following Hibiki’s proclamation. Nobody knew quite how much stock to put into words they never heard, uttered by someone they only knew as a mad god. Finally, Maria spoke-up. “Tachibana’s right. Even if this changes our bodies, we can’t let it change who we are. We can’t let it isolate us from each other, from our lives, from mankind.”

“It might not be so simple.” Fujitaka pointed out. “The possibility of mental changes-”

“Is there any evidence of that?” Miku interrupted him, looking at Elfnein. “Any evidence that this will change us mentally?”

Elfnein paused to look over the notes. “With such drastic changes to your physiology, I doubt your minds will be _ completely _unaffected. But that goes for all physiological changes, including normal human aging. I see no evidence that there will be any changes that are specifically mental.” She added a note of caution. “However, even in the incomplete data, Professor One-Oh-Eight seems confident that significant changes in psychology are likely to take place as the physical transformations accelerates. He specifically cites temporal dissociation causing alienation from the rest of humanity and the potential formation of a superiority complex.”

“He may know everything about the Symphogear, but how much does he know about _ us _?” Hibiki pushed back with determination. “We’ve done the impossible before! If there’s a danger we’ll lose ourselves, then we’ll just have to face it head-on like all the other times.” She seized Miku’s and Chris’s hands, sweeping her gaze across the others. “And we’ll beat it together, just like all the other times!”

Tsubasa stared at Hibiki in surprise. Even though Tachibana’s speech made no sense on its face, it actually made sense. She shook her head, a smile breaking across her face. “I really should have come to expect this from you by now. You always know exactly what to say in these situations, Tachibana.”

“Beat it…” Kirika muttered thoughtfully, lifting her head from the crook of Shirabe’s neck to look at Hibiki.

“... together.” Shirabe finished - and affirmed - her girlfriend’s statement, latching onto the words as hard as she had onto Kirika.

Miku gave her girlfriend a smile, her own fears melting away, and turned to take Tsubasa’s hand. “Well, if Hibiki says it can be beaten, then it must be so.”

“So long as we remain with each other.” Maria agreed, taking Tsubasa’s other hand. Breaking their own hug, Kirika and Shirabe likewise rushed over to finish the chain.

“And we’ll support you as long as we are able to!” Tomosato called out. Fujitaka, Elfnein, and both Ogawa’s nodded in support.

Only Chris remained silent, chewing on her lip in thought, although she didn’t move to pull away from Hibiki’s grip. She wanted to believe what Hibiki was saying. She desperately did. Hell, had this news come just six months earlier, she would have in an instant. But one thought kept passing through her mind: Elfnein had said that this may lead them to become immortal. If that was true, could she bear leaving Komichi behind?

\----

They met in a back alley restaurant in Hong Kong. A nondescript sort of place rather used to serving the sort of office workers who were high up enough that they had to wear a suit-and-tie ensemble to work but by no stretch of the imagination could call themselves wealthy. Neither ‘Wei Ma’ nor ‘Qiang Du’ were their actual names, but it simply wouldn’t do for them to have known each others’ actual names.

“Your group is extraordinarily difficult to get in contact with.” Qiang Du began.

Wei Ma shrugged. “When waging what amounts to a war against the UN, we have to be.”

“Yet we were able to arrange this meeting.” Qiang challenged.

Wei smirked in reply. “Because we permitted it.”

The two shadowy men and their respective entourages took their seats in the seedy restaurant. The walls were a dark and wooden, and bamboo lamps lined the ceiling. Small, private tables covered in white tablecloths lined the room. The atmosphere of the place was eerily empty in spite of it being dinnertime; there was nobody else in the establishment besides the two parties. Neither party could allow any witnesses, after all. 

The two men were seated in a table by a young woman, while their respective entourages were seated at a nearby table, just out of earshot. The two men stared each other down, looking for any sign of weakness.

“Suffice to say,” Qiang Du, the agent from the Chinese government’s Ministry of State Security continued as he looked over his menu. ”There are some members of the Central Committee who are sympathetic to your organization's viewpoint.”

“Yes, and I imagine General Fai’s report on what just two adaptors managed in Panau had nothing to do with it.” His counterpart, a Fifth Seal agent, replied off-handedly. “Nor the fact that six of the seven Symphogears are Japanese nationals and the last one might as well be.”

“Well, those are factors, we will admit.” Qiang allowed. The conversation lapsed for a moment as a waiter came around to take their orders. The two men waited until the restaurant employee was out of earshot before Wei continued.

“That being said, we are pleasantly surprised to hear the Central Committee has come around to our viewpoint. Given the recent announcements by the Party’s Chairman, I thought they were all on board with the Australians’ proposal regarding reforms to the SONG Oversight Committee.”

“I never said _ everyone _ in the Central Committee was sympathetic. Professions of democratic centralism aside, we’re not a monolith. I represent a faction interested in… alternative ideas on how to address the imbalance.”

Wei frowned. “Is your faction powerful enough to fulfill your end of any bargain?”

Qiang shrugged. “That depends on what can be worked out.”

“Hm…” Wei reached into his jacket and pulled out a folder to slide across the table. “Could you possibly obtain these machine parts and this quantity of raw materials for us?”

Qiang opened the folder to scan the contents. After a minute of reading, he finally replied. “The raw materials should be no issue, but I’m afraid some of these machine parts would be too difficult to acquire without keeping an acceptably low profile.”

“Which ones can you obtain for us?” Wei asked.

Qiang placed the folder down on the table to point out the particular lines. “This, this, and this. We could also get you these,” He indicated several more items, “But not in those numbers.” He glanced at one line under the raw materials section that rather stood out. “Out of curiosity, why do you need so much beryllium oxide?”

“I was only told what to request, not why.” Wei shrugged. “In any case, that is acceptable.”

“And what would you offer in return?” Qiang asked. “This is, after all, supposed to be an exchange.”

“You mean besides continuing to attack SONG?” Wei grinned, leaning back in his chair. “The high technology produced by our organization is the envy of the world, and unlike heretical technology, it can be mass-produced through mundane means. I’m sure China would greatly benefit from it given how troublesome the Americans are being right now. How about some Anti-LiNKER to start, since the main threat comes from those Symphogears?”

“SONG already shared-” Qiang began.

Wei cut him off. “They shared _ their _formula of Anti-LiNKER, which isn’t even as potent as the type produced by Doctor Ver, much less what we use. With the current batches you can produce, you couldn’t even knock a Symphogear’s synch rate down enough to prevent them from using their Superb Songs, much less something like Amalgam.”

Qiang raised a skeptical eyebrow, leaning forward. “And yours can?”

“Of course. Why do you think we drop it on them every time we fight?” Wei looked him dead in the eye. “You think what they achieved in Panau is impressive? You should see what they would be like if they _ weren’t _fighting under Anti-LiNKER conditions. They’re capable of toppling nations with the firepower they wield. We know what your military solution for them is… if you can really call ‘drop increasingly larger tactical nukes’ an actual solution. It’s the same contingency plan every other major military power has.”

Qiang considered the issue for a few more moments. “I’ll have to go over this with my superiors.”

“There’s a number in the files. If they accept our offer, call it, and we’ll be able to arrange issues like transport locations and timing then. Just… well, you can _ try _to trace it. You won’t succeed, but I’m sure whoever’s in Red Unit could use the laugh.”

\----

_ ‘Apotheosis. Becoming gods… or, at least, more godlike.’ _Miku contemplated as she did her warm-up run alongside Hibiki. The two had agreed that they should continue with Miku’s physical training. The number of reporters camped out at their apartments had slackened considerably since the second press conference, to the point that the two actually were generally able to sneak out the back now so long as they made sure to don a cap and sunglasses. The trickier part was generally how to avoid getting attention on the street while doing their exercises.

The black-haired girl’s history on the junior high track team meant she could slip easily enough into thought while maintaining her pace. And invariably, her thoughts turned to the issue of Sumphonia. _ ‘Hibiki is insistent that we won’t lose ourselves. I believe her. But even if we do, what about everything else?’ _

They might wind up becoming immortal now, after all. A part of Miku couldn’t really find fault in the idea of eternity with the others, particularly Hibiki. But there were so many other imponderables about the notion that scared her. First and foremost: what would happen when other people found out? SONG were doing their best to keep the information secret, but given the girls were already forced into the public eye, it was an inevitability that people would notice when they stopped aging. Not to mention the possibility of the Horsemen just releasing the details. They’d already done it once before, with their identities.

Humanity’s opinion on the Custodians was already warped so much by the collective experience it had suffered at the hands of Shem-Ha. She couldn’t imagine how the public would react to finding out _ they _were becoming proto-Custodians. As it was, the knowledge that they were Symphogear wielders had created alienation from most of their peers, though it was an alienation of awe and wonder. Would the revelation of Sumphonia transform that into fear and hate?

Miku was so lost in her thoughts and worries, that she didn’t even notice when Hibiki stopped running until her girlfriend called out. “Hey, Miku! We’ve done the four miles.”

“Ah!” Miku muttered, coming to a halt before turning to jog the few feet that had opened up between her and the Gungnir user. “Sorry, I was thinking.”

“Oh, you mean about…” Hibiki trailed off for a moment, not certain really even how to bring it up even on an otherwise deserted park path. She shook her head and offered Miku a water bottle. “Don’t worry, we’ll beat it.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” Miku replied, taking a sip and passing the bottle back. “It’s more… how other people will react when they find out.”

“Huh.” Hibiki mused, clearly now considering it herself as she also took a sip. “Yeah. I guess we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it, huh?”

“I wonder how the alchemists handled it.” Miku wondered. “Managing to hide themselves away for centuries at a time without anybody noticing.”

They lapsed into silence for a few moments, considering the difficult question and coming up with no answer. Finally, Hibiki opened her mouth to suggest they start training, but a new voice interrupted her. “Hey! Bikky, Miku!”

The two looked over to see the familiar brunette twin-tails of Yumi, clad in her own exercise clothing and jogging down the path towards them.

“Yumi?” Hibiki asked in surprise. She had never seen the Otaku girl in her gym clothes outside of gym class.

“Fancy meeting you two here!” Yumi answered as she stopped her run, jogging in place. “You doing your exercises?”

“Just finished our warm-up run.” Miku confirmed, also a bit surprised to see her friend indulging in a more physical enterprise. “When did you take up running?”

“Oh, about a week now.” Yumi shrugged. “Just felt like something I should start doing. I’m surprised how easy it became once you get a few days.”

“Your form is very impressive for a beginner.” Miku observed, recalling exactly how the other girl was running. Even jogging in place, Yumi was doing everything right: chin level, shoulders moving opposite of her legs, arms pumping in line with the body, tight core. It was like she had been running for a lifetime. “You managed to figure all this out in a week?”

“I think I read some tips on proper form somewhere, that probably helped.” Yumi shrugged. Then her eyes lit-up with enthusiasm. “Oh, yeah, that reminds me! The NERV set, it really does work!”

“Really?” Miku rolled her eyes.

“Still skeptical? Well, I have proof!” Yumi finally stopped jogging and puffed herself up. “Guess who already finished her summer homework?”

“Eh?!” Hibiki’s eyes widened in astonishment. “But you’re usually always so last-minute about it!”

Miku gave her girlfriend a flat look. “Are you sure you should be saying that? Have you even started yours?”

Hibiki laughed uncomfortably and averted her eyes. “I’ll get around to it.”

“Nah, I’m telling you!” Yumi answered. “Particularly after I finished modding it. All the answers came super-easy! I’m going to get a great grade, I’m telling you.”

“I’m sure Shiori is holding you to that.” Miku replied.

“She is.” Yumi nodded. “We even made a bet on it: we’re planning a dinner outing once our summer homework grades come in. I get good grades, she pays. I get bad grades, I pay. It was her idea.”

Miku stared at the twin-tailed girl. Did Shiori leverage Yumi’s obsession with this VR thing into getting a date with her crush? It sounded certainly sounded like something the blonde was devious enough to try. Perhaps she should try that sometime with Hibiki. But what would they have a bet over?

“You know, Yumi,” Hibiki piped up. “That sounds like she was inviting you on a date.”

Miku resisted the temptation to facepalm. Leave it to Hibiki to completely fail to notice how their friends’ relationship was developing.

“Well, since Kuriyo moved out, I think she’s been a bit more lonely in the dorms.” Yumi answered, equally oblivious. “So how are you guys handling everything? I heard you really busted up some terrorist heads during the weekend, like out of a superhero anime.”

“Yes,” Miku answered. “We can’t talk much about the details though. And some of the things we’ve discovered have been…” She paused, searching for the right word. “Uncomfortable.”

“Ah, yeah.” Yumi shifted awkwardly. “I did see the video from the uh… from that school. Erm…” The otaku trailed off, a rare look of seriousness coming over her.

“It’s quite different fighting them, compared to our past enemies.” Hibiki said solemnly.

Yumi nodded emphatically “I can imagine. From what I’ve heard, the White Unit battlegroups all fight to the death.”

Miku frowned slightly, something about that sentence bothered her but she couldn’t quite place what. Hibiki, on the other hand, had become melancholy. “We’ve never fought anyone who so obviously understood they were doing the wrong thing yet didn’t care. Finé, the Alchemists, and even Shem-Ha all thought what they were doing was right. But the Horsemen…” She shook her head. “I don’t understand. How can they care so much about the relics and not care about who they hurt when they know it’s wrong?”

Yumi frowned. “Well, I guess… some people let their emotions run away with them. They charge into a situation making one mistake after another. There are a lot of anime characters like that.”

“It feels a bit too real for an anime though.” Miku observed.

Yumi shrugged, “It’s the best answer I can give you.” She gave a reassuring grin. “Besides, it’s not like anime has steered me wrong in the past!”

“Who knows? We might be living in an anime.” Hibiki said with a teasing grin.

“Eh, maybe all the prior stuff. What’s happening right now feels more like the fanfic to an anime.” Yumi said with a serious face. There was a beat before the girls all laughed.

“Anyways, Hibiki and I need to finish the rest of our training and get back to the house. We don’t want to stay out long enough to let any reporter swarms home in on us.” Miku said.

“And I’d better finish my run. See ya around!” Yumi took off, waving as she ran.

“Say hello to Shiori for us!” Hibiki shouted after her friend, likewise waving.

“Hibiki,” Miku stared thoughtfully the way Yumi ran off, realizing what had been bothering her. “Has the information we’ve learned about the Horsemen’s organizational structure been made public?”

“Eh?” Hibiki paused for a moment, thinking it over. “I don’t think so. I recall Director Ogawa saying that it’s kept classified right now. Something about not wanting the Horsemen to know what we know about them, I think.”

“Then how did Yumi know that the Horsemen’s combat arm is named the White Unit?”

\----

**Next Chapter: **Bound Feelings

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone asked back in chapter 14 whether Doctor Ver would make a cameo in this fic. I replied “that while he doesn’t put in a direct appearance, the legacy of the Last Action Hero will loom large in this story.” I just never said precisely what I meant by “legacy”. Exact words are fun! Regardless, that reveal was supposed to be the cliffhanger of last chapter, but then the chappy started getting a fair bit long so we had to shift it into the early part of this one.
> 
> In other news, Happy New Year everyone! Though the main series may have ended (for the moment), we still have so much to look forward too in the fandom this year: the 2020 live show in september, XDU going global, XDU also getting Season 5 and a Season 4.5 story, and finally, an abridged series coming out on January 7th.


	17. Bound Feelings

Distortions  
Chapter 17:  
Bound Feelings

\----

_“I know it’s the middle of the semester, but I’ll introduce your new classmate.”_

_Komichi Ayano tilted her head very slightly as she examined the new girl. She barely registered out of the corner of her vision Otome clasping her hands together and gasping in awe as her eyes sparkled. Almost instinctively, Komichi compared the new student to herself. She was shorter, more…_ developed_, and had silvery hair done in a complicated braid style._

‘Oh, she’s pretty.’ _Komichi thought, then blinked in surprise. Just ‘she’s pretty?’ Not ‘she’s prettier than me?’ or ‘I’ll bet she’s more popular than me?’_

_“I’m Y-Yukine Chris...” The girl introduced herself._

_Something about the way Chris Yukine spoke and looked around the classroom clicked with Komichi. On the surface, she was just a nervous transfer student. But Komichi recognized the look in her eye. The way she glanced around the classroom with fear in her eyes, as if she was receiving something she didn’t deserve. Like being in this classroom was something for people who were better than her._

_Komichi understood what inadequacy felt like. In her mind, she was always comparing herself to others and finding herself wanting. But not with Chris. Her gaze surreptitiously followed the new student as she primly and stiffly took her seat. Though she put on an unfriendly facade, she was clearly out of her depth._

‘I want to help her.’ _The thought struck Komichi like a thunderbolt._

—

_“Hey, Komichi, Otome!”_

_Both the brunette and the dirty-blonde glanced over their shoulders as the lunch period started at Yuki’s voice. The ponytailed girl already had her own box out and was leaning forward. “Let’s ask the new girl to eat with us!”_

_“Her name’s Yukine, Chris Yukine.” Komichi corrected the taller girl before she even realized it. Yuki blinked a moment in surprise at Komichi’s sudden correction before smiling in slight embarrassment at her forgetfulness._

_“That’s a good idea!” Otome answered. She grabbed up her bento, got to her feet, and rushed ahead as usual, leaving her friends scrambling to catch up. When they found the transfer student, Chris was fiddling with something in her bag. She was so caught up in her task that she didn’t even notice the trio’s approach until Otome leaned forward over her desk and spoke up. “Hey, Yukine!”_

_The silver-haired girl’s head suddenly came up and her eyes widened. Thinking she could detect a bit of fear in them, Komichi quickly pushed ahead. “Want to eat with us?”_

_“S-sorry!” Chris pulled her hand out of her bag and stood up. “I’m busy.”_

_And without waiting for a reply, the small girl swiftly turned and walked away. The trio’s faces fell as she hastily left them behind. Komichi just watched her go while Otome and Yuki glanced at each other._

_“Maybe… we should just leave her be?” Yuki asked._

_“No.” For the third time today, Komichi surprised herself. “She’s just awkward and unsure of herself.” The brunette shifted, suddenly self-conscious as her gaze drifted to the door Chris had just left through. “I should know.”_

—

_Komichi, along with Otome, turned her head to watch Chris as the class sang. Yuki was slightly more surreptitious about it, her head still held forward but clearly peering at the silver-haired girl out of the corner of her eyes. They couldn’t help it: it was the first time they had seen Chris with such a wide smile on her face. Komichi thought Chris was pretty as she was, but when she sang? The brunette thought Chris became _beautiful.

_As if sensing the trio’s looks, the silver-haired girl’s eyes drifted in their direction and caught the watchful gazes. A blush bloomed across Chris' face, and she abruptly brought the song book they were using up to self-consciously hide her face. _

‘Cute…’ _Komichi couldn’t help but think. But whereas Otome and Yuki’s smiles were purely amused by the reaction, Komichi tempered hers with a sad kindness. Chris looked so happy when she was singing. There was no reason for her to feel _embarrassed _for being so full of joy. It just wasn’t right. _

_Once again, Komichi was overcome by a desire to help the new girl._

—

_“Yumi! This song’s embarrassing enough! Do we really have to do it in those costumes?”_

_Komichi turned at the sound of the voice to spot a trio of first-years just a few feet away. The tallest of the group, a short-haired brunette, was the one who had spoken and was looking pleadingly at the short twin-tailed one. The blonde one stood between them, simply watching the conversation with a slight smile on her face._

_“Every great anime intro has to feature its villains, Kuriyo!” Twin-tails proclaimed. “And Dark Insectoid is Lightning Detective Van’s greatest nemesis!”_

_Tallest turned her eyes to blonde, quietly begging for assistance, but the blonde just smiled and shook her head. “If we’re going to sing the intro, then we’re going to have to get into character, and Yumi’s costumes are pretty good.”_

_“Not to mention I’ll be able to refine the dance routine once we see the Queens of Music concert tomorrow!” Twin-tails flashed her friends a V-sign. “So you don’t have to worry about the costume getting in your way while you sing!“_

_Komichi giggled to herself at their antics. They seemed like they intended to have so much fun singing at the school fair. Then the brunette froze, a brilliant light bulb going off in her head. All thoughts about the trio of juniors forgotten, she turned to find the others._

_She knew how they could help Chris._

—

_A grin broke across Komichi’s face as she spotted the silver-haired girl past Otome and Yuki, only dimly registering the presence of a second person next to her. "We found you… Yukine!”_

_The three stopped in a semi-circle around Chris that left her back against the wall. As Komichi took a moment to catch her breath, Otome already pushed on forwards. “Please… There’s no time before it starts!”_

_Silently Komichi closed her eyes and clasped her raised hands in front of her face, joining in Otome’s plea with her body language. She heard Chris shuffle in front of her. After a few moments of silence, she opened her eyes to see that the girl had turned away from the trio, her head bent forward and hands clenched down by her waist._

_“What’s going on?” A new voice asked. Only then did Komichi recognize the second person as Tsubasa Kazanari. For a moment, her stomach did a somersault at being in the presence of Japan’s top idol, but a simple glance towards Chris filled her with new determination. Komichi wanted to do this, she wanted to see Chris do what she so clearly loved._

_“We want Yukine to perform in the singing competition.” She answered, looking hopefully at the girl._

_“Why would I?” Chris turned. Her demeanour and voice sounded angry, but beneath it, Komichi could sense the genuine confusion and unasked questions. Why sing? Why her?_

_“Because,” The brunette replied with the honest truth, “When you sing, you look like you’re having so much fun.”_

_Chris’s eyes shrunk in shock. She stood there for a moment, just staring at them mouth agape._

_“Do you not like to sing?” Tsubasa asked. Komichi glanced at the idol, curious at the slightly familiar tone she used. Did the two know each other?_

_But her attention was quickly drawn back to Chris as she turned her head aside, her face flushed completely red, and uttered a single word. “I…”_

_Komichi leaned forward and seized Chris’s hand. “Please Yukine? I’m sure you’ll do fantastic.“_

_Chris went beat red, her eyes flicking between her own hand clasped in hers and the brunette’s face. Then finally, the silver-haired girl nodded her ascent. Komichi’s heart skipped a beat before soaring skyward._

—

_“Now, here’s our next challenger!”_

_The voice of the student council president was filled with enthusiasm but Chris didn’t move. Quietly, Komichi reached up and gave the girl a gentle shove. With a series of surprised grunts, the silver-haired girl stumbled out into the spotlight, microphone in her hand._

_Komichi gave a warm smile. She could do it. It wasn’t right that someone like Chris should be so uncomfortable. She could be better. Komichi would prove it._

_But as the music began, Chris just stood stock still for several seconds. An uncertain muttering passed over the crowd as the silver-haired girl glanced over towards the trio hiding behind the curtains._

_“You can do it!” Komichi gently called in encouragement, winking and flashing her the V-sign. Chris paused one more moment, but then as the music swelled she lifted the microphone and began to sing._

“Someone reached out their hand to me.  
And I learned of a pain that’s not quite pain.”

_As the song continued, Komichi watched the silver-haired girl’s confidence grow with her smile. Her heart skipped another few beats. She couldn’t help it. Chris indeed looked beautiful when she sang._

—

_“Yukine? Are you alright?” Komichi asked as she and her friends again approached the girl. The festival had moved into the clean-up phase and once again the trio had found themselves scouring the school grounds in search of the mysterious transfer student._

_“Uh, yeah.” The silver-haired girl shook her head, standing up from the railing they found her leaning against. “Sorry about me running off there. Those girls you saw me go after, we’ve… met outside of school before and we haven’t the best of experiences together. Them showing up here was something of a shock.” She shifted uncomfortably. ”H-hey. Thanks for giving me that push… it was, well…” The silver-haired girl trailed off, glancing away with a blush on her cheeks._

_In lieu of a proper ‘your welcome’. Komichi just smiled. “Komichi Ayano.” She introduced herself, bowing. “I’d like to be your friend, Yukine-san.”_

_“A-Ayano-san?” Chris muttered, shifting her feet. At Komichi’s nod and smile, a shy smile graced Chris’s lips as well. “Yeah, thanks. I guess I’d like to be your friend too.”_

_“Well, if you’re getting to know Komichi, you gotta get to know us too!” Yuki boasted, she jabbed a thumb at herself. “Yuki Godai! And glasses here is Otome Kaburagi.”_

_Otome sighed. “Yuki, could you stop introducing me as ‘glasses?’”_

_“If you get contacts, maybe.” Yuki answered casually, causing Otome to pout. Komichi shook her head, and Chris rolled her eyes._

—

_Komichi sighed forlornly as she walked with her head down to her next class. College for her had been a lonely experience so far. She missed Yuki and Otome, but they had gone their separate ways. Yuki had gone to a different college while Otome had departed to study abroad in Germany. Sure, the two promised to keep in touch, but Komichi hadn’t heard from either of her friends in months._

_A more outgoing person would have made new friends, but Komichi wasn’t an outgoing person. Every time she thought she spotted someone who she might be able to talk to, she would find something about the person that made her turn away. Something that made her think she wasn’t worth being a bother to them. Looking back, it had been Otome and Yuki who had approached her, not the other way around. Yet another sign of how pathetic she was._

_“Ayano?” A familiar voice spoke up behind her as she reached for the classroom door. Komichi’s eyes widened as someone she hadn’t seen since graduation day at Lydian approached her._

_“Yukine-san? What are you doing here?”_

_The silver-haired girl’s eyebrow quirked. “I have this class next. What are you doing here?”_

_“I… ah, I also have this class next.” Komichi knew how lame her reply sounded. “We… both decided to go to the same college?”_

_“Hey, I’m not going to complain about seeing a familiar face.” Chris nodded as the two entered the classroom. “Maybe we could hang out somewhere afterwards. You know, try and catch up?”_

_“That sounds,” Komichi paused trying to think of a reply before finally shrugging and settling on the simple. “Sure, it sounds nice.” She took her seat._

_“I think I know a place we could try.” Chris smiled as she sat down next to the brunette. And like it had a year-and-a-half ago, back at the school festival, Komichi’s heart skipped a few beats. When did Chris become beautiful even when not singing?_

—

_Breakfast plates clinked as Komichi finished placing them in the drain board to dry. The college was far enough that travelling from home would have been impractical, so her parents had agreed to put her up in a small studio apartment much closer to the campus. _

_And besides, in just a week she’d be able to go out somewhere with Chris! She knew she should be spending more time studying, but her mind couldn’t help but whirl with plans for what they should do instead. A movie perhaps, or was that too cliché? Maybe they should go to an archery tournament? The brunette recalled Chris mentioning she had attended the Kyudo club in her last semester._

_Oh, this was no good! She needed to study! Chris had been nice enough to remind her on the phone last night that finals were coming up. Grabbing her textbooks, Komichi plopped down on her couch, but try as she might, she couldn’t help but think: she’d be going out somewhere with Chris in just a week! Not an impromptu excursion, but a planned date! It was so exciting as to be distracting! And the exhaustion wasn’t helping: that enormous explosion last night had interrupted her sleep. She was pretty sure everyone in the Tokyo metro area could hear it. That had been more than a little worrying._

_Maybe it was on the morning news? The brunette figured knowing what it was would be enough to put her mind at ease. So she grabbed the remote and clicked on the television._

_The first picture she saw was the very last thing she expected to see on television._

_“Chris?!” Komichi uttered aloud, staring at the image of her friend looking right back out of her television screen. A dumb look of surprise was written all over the girl’s face as she stared into the camera for several seconds before backpedaling through the doorway she was standing in and slamming the door shut. _‘Oh, those pajamas are cute. But why is she on television in them? Actually, why is she on television at all?’

_She looked at the news bar. The words ‘_Symphogear Incident Details, Identities Leaked_’ were displayed across the screen. Well, that certainly was newsworthy, but what did Chris have to do with-_

_The TV news chatter answered her question before she could even finish it. “-That was Chris Yukine, the third identified Symphogear according to the recent leaks, at her home apartment. For those who are just joining us-”_

_Komichi didn’t really process any more of the anchor’s monologue. Her mind had ground to a halt at the words ‘Symphogear.’ Then her heart almost joined it when the footage cut to showing Chris again. Except Chris was on a city street, clad in bright red armor, a pair of massive gatling guns slung under each arm and an army of Noise surrounding her. On screen, the silver-haired girl turned with confident grace as her miniguns effortlessly chewed through the Noise around her. The eldritch creatures lunged forward, but none connected as Chris either turned her guns on them faster then they could strike or sidestepped their blows with superhuman finesse._

_Komichi practically collapsed backward into her couch, her mind whirling. Sure, the Chris she had gotten to know over the past semester seemed like a completely different person from the one who had come to Lydian. A far cry from that timid, unsure girl who put up an angry face to hide her weakness. While still abrasive, she had become someone amazing, someone who supported and pushed Komichi rather then the other way around. Chris was friends with two idol singers, one of whom was also a known Symphogear user, but it had never occurred to Komichi that Chris could be one herself._

_Had been a Symphogear user_ _all this time? An honest to god superhero? One of the girls who had saved the world again and again? That was beyond amazing. That was… that was…_

_Komichi couldn’t think of the right words to describe how amazing Chris was. But she had no trouble identifying the other feeling that bloomed in her chest, something she felt every time she compared herself to someone else and found herself lacking. Except it felt so much worse now._

_How could someone like her ever hope to be with someone like Chris?_

\----

Komichi sat on her bed and stared at the list of text messages on her phone.

_hey komichi. at a party but i want u to know i ain’t givin up on you._

She hadn’t expected that message when it popped up, nor the relentless stream that had followed. She flipped down, quietly scanning each of the messages.

_arrive at conference Prob gon suck but y care? wish me luck_

Komichi had wished her luck, silently. She then watched Chris stand up there and almost come apart. Guilt gnawed at the brunette. She had given into her fear and driven her best friend away. No, that wasn’t right: she hadn’t driven Chris away, she had run from Chris. And at a time Chris needed as much support as she could, too! If she hadn’t run away that day, would Chris have handled the conference better?

_hey komichi im gonna b on a mission 4 a week or so. wont be able to text until then. i hope to see you soon wen i get back!_

The first one Komichi replied to. And the only one, thus far. She couldn’t stop herself: she knew in her gut that Chris was going out to fight the Horsemen. Intellectually, the brunette tried to tell herself that Chris would be fine. She could take on eldritch abominations; compared to that, what were some terrorists? But emotions were never rational, and Komichi couldn’t help but fear that some kind of lucky shot or new Horsemen weapon would make its way through the silver-haired girl’s armor. Then she would lose Chris forever.

Awareness of the cognitive dissonance only caught up with Komichi that night: she was afraid that she would lose Chris forever. Yet she was also running away and avoiding Chris because she didn’t feel worthy of being her friend. She missed Chris, she wanted to be with Chris. Yet she didn’t want to weigh Chris down.

Then for a week, nothing. Just like Chris said. News that Chris had been involved in a raid in Southeast Asia and was victorious only emerged in the past few days. Komichi felt both relieved and disgusted: relieved that Chris was alright and disgusted with herself because she couldn’t work up the nerve to support the Ichaival user, even if all she would be able to offer was just spirit.

Then the relief was displaced by fear. Had Chris finally decided she wasn’t worth it after a week overseas? The way this irrational fear mixed with her guilt only made it worse; after what Komichi did to her, Chris would have every right to discard her like the worthless garbage friend she was.

Then the last text came in. It had been sent yesterday.

_im back! and im def see yu soon. sorry i couldn’t bring anytin from panau._

Chris hadn’t forgotten her. Though her fear was waylaid by the message, the guilt worsened. Why did Chris have to be so amazing? Why couldn’t Komichi work up the nerve to respond? The phone fell from her hands and she stared up at the ceiling in thought. The brunette could practically picture the guilt and loneliness swirling around in her head, circling these goddamn feelings of inadequacy.

The doorbell rang.

—

Chris glanced around, making sure she had lost the tabloid reporters who invariably camped themselves outside her door and fiddled with her convenience store bag. She didn’t have any back door to slip out of like Hibiki and Miku did, so even with the disguise, there was always a bit of a chasing game where she had to give her pursuers the slip. Her security team helped as best as they could, usually by ‘accidentally’ running into the stalking reporters, but some clever hacks would occasionally get past her guards.

Finding no stalkers in the general vicinity, the Ichaival user rang the doorbell and stifled a yawn. Though she had intended to do this as soon as she had gotten back from Panau, she figured it would be better doing it with a bit more sleep. But the issue with Sumphonia had kept her up far later than she intended.

She was probably going to outlive Komichi. Hell, she was going to outlive everyone except her fellow adaptors. She just couldn’t figure out whether she’d be able to handle the pain of watching Komichi or her other ‘regular’ friends grow old and die while she remained.

There was also the question of how Komichi would react to the news. Mankind hated and feared the Custodians. As much as she loathed to ever admit it, she could understand the Horsemen’s perspective there. The experience of Shem-Ha had been a terrifying personal reality for everyone alive. The only exceptions were Hibiki, who stopped it, and Miku, who was experiencing something even worse.

And that extended to Komichi. How would she react to the news that Chris was becoming something more like a Custodian? Would Komichi’s insecurities towards Chris change to hate? Could Chris handle Komichi hating her? Chris pressed forward regardless. Even if she couldn’t handle Komichi’s hatred or fear, she certainly wouldn’t be able to handle the regret weighing on her heart if she didn’t keep trying to patch things up.

The door opened, snapping Chris out of her reverie.

“Y-Yukine-sama?!” Komichi gaped, freezing like a deer in the headlights. Yes, Chris had said she would see her soon, but she still hadn’t expected it to be this soon. Much less at her apartment!

Chris used the taller girl’s inaction as the opportunity to debate for a moment on how to reply. Finally, she decided to simply smile sadly. “I suppose getting you to just up-and-drop the honorific is a bit of a lost cause, huh?”

“I-” Komichi paused, her mind whirling. She was elated to see Chris again. She was horrified to see Chris again.

“It’s fine.” Chris pressed on. “We can work on it. Is it okay if I come in?”

“I am-I am honored to invite you to my humble home, Yukine-sama.” Komichi answered, stepping aside and bowing. Internally she cringed. Why couldn’t she drop the extremely formal tone?! The loneliness stilled, but the guilt still burned and the inadequacy had come roaring back with a vengeance.

“I’m not a feudal lord.” Chris muttered, rubbing her forehead in exasperated dismay but nonetheless stepped in, glancing around. Though she had the address for about two months now, it was the first time she had been to Komichi’s apartment. The layout wasn’t too different from her own: entrance hallway with bathroom, kitchen with dining area leading directly into the living room. A second hallway presumably leading to a bedroom, a closet, and maybe a second bathroom. But the space was quite a bit smaller, and there was a lot less furniture.

An interesting fragrance in the air, though. It was soothing and familiar. It took Chris a few moments to realize why that was: the apartment smelled like Komichi. At that realization, the Ichaival user’s face went red, but she forced any embarrassment away. This was too important for her to get flustered.

Komichi turned towards the kitchen but Chris lifted the convenience store bag. “I brought snacks. You don’t need to fix me anything.”

To her eternal dismay, Komichi shook her head. “A lowly one like myself couldn’t possibly accept anything from Yukine-sama.”

Chris let out a long sigh and then stepped around to block the girls path, her expression hardening. Alright, if she had to get demanding, she’d get demanding. “Komichi, please. I beg you: _stop_.”

Komichi froze, her eyes wide with shock and a little bit of fear. It made her heart ache. She didn’t want one of her friends to be afraid of her. Taking a deep breath, Chris continued. “Things can’t keep going like this. Before anything else, we should talk. Come on.”

Komichi only had a chair and a small couch arrayed perpendicular to each other in her living room. Placing the bag on the small coffee table, Chris took the chair while Komichi took the couch, the far side of the couch..

The awkward silence stretched between the two as Chris tried to figure out what to say while Komichi desperately tried and failed to overcome her paralysis. In the end, the Brunette just sat there, wringing her hands guiltily, her eyes not quite looking at Chris.

“I’m not giving up on you, Komichi.” Chris began at last, causing the other girl to look up suddenly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that I was a Symphogear adaptor. I’m sorry that I’ve let this come between us. But I don’t want you to be afraid of me for it. I don’t want to lose this. You were willing to become my friend once, when I was so uncertain and awkward. You played a major role in helping me get over that. The least I can do is return the favor.” She scratched her head. “Maybe I’ve been a bad friend, this last semester, if I haven’t been helping with this alr-”

“No!” Komichi suddenly shouted, rising to her feet. “There’s no way you’ve been a bad friend! You were willing to be my friend when I couldn’t find anyone else at college! You were willing to push me at the concert! Even before I found out about you being an adaptor, I considered you to be an amazing person, Chris Yukine! Nothing could ever change that!”

She paused to take a breath, slightly winded by the outburst and in that pause she finally realized what she was doing. The color draining from her face as the brunette sat back down, drawing in on herself.

Chris reached out for Komichi’s hand but hesitated as she remembered what happened the last time she tried. Still, she leaned forward and, after another moment, asked, “What do you want Komichi?”

At the question, Komichi glanced aside, biting her lip. It took a few seconds before she finally replied, her voice quiet. “I don’t know. I want to be with you, and yet I also don’t want to be with you. I don’t want to lose everything we’ve built, particularly over the semester. And yet, I don’t know how to move forward! You are a hero and I’m just some ordinary, worthless gi-”

Chris scowled. “But you’re not worthless!”

Komichi stiffened in shock at Chris’s outburst, but before the shy girl could even process it, Chris took another page out of Hibiki Tachibana’s playbook and lunged forward off the couch, entrapping the brunette in a hug. Komichi only managed a high-pitched squeak of surprise before she was enveloped in the Ichaival user’s warmth.

“Even if you don’t value yourself,” Chris continued. “_I _do. And you can’t be worthless so long as you have value.”

Was that how it worked? Komichi wondered in a daze. That couldn’t be how it worked. How could Chris value her?

As if reading her mind, Chris answered the unspoken question, almost whispering it in her ear. “It’s like I said back at the concert: you helped me learn to live at Lydian, at the school festival. How could I _not _value you?”

Komichi gaped at the wall past Chris’s shoulder. The answer seemed so obvious now that she recalled that day at the school fair. The inadequacy faded. Not altogether, not a lot… but a little. Still, she hesitated.

“You can’t decide, can you?” Chris muttered after a long moment. Afraid to even speak and still coming down off the shock by the sudden contact, Komichi just nodded in reply.

“Then,” Chris broke the hug and gripped Komichi by the shoulders, gazing at her carefully. It was a gaze Komichi still found she couldn’t meet. “Will you let me decide for you?”

That… that probably would be for the best, Komichi decided. If she was too unsure to make the decision, why not let someone as amazing as Chris make it instead? Again, she nodded.

“Then I decide we are still friends. I decide we are still together.” Chris gave a sly grin. “And I decide that you should stop using ‘sama’ when addressing me!”

Komichi abruptly looked up. “Yukine-sam-”

“Ah!” Chris interrupted, holding up a finger to ward off any further protest. “You agreed to let me decide!”

Komichi stared, unable to dispute Chris’s proclamation. She had been completely bamboozled. And in spite of her lingering doubts, Komichi finally giggled. God, did it feel good to laugh at something Chris did again. “My most gracious thanks, Yukine.”

“Hm,” Chris answered scratching her head as she sat back. “Guess I should have used the opportunity to choose for you to drop the overly-formal tone too. Well, we’ll work on it.” Despite the statement, she was glad to see Komichi finally relaxing _a little_ in her presence again. She gave the brunette one of her signature cocky grins. “And I’ll get you to call me Chris again, no matter what it takes!”

At long last, she felt that the chip in the wall had become a breach.

\----

“How did the meeting with the committee go?” Fujitaka asked as Commander Ogawa stepped back onto the bridge.

“The Chinese have agreed to reinstitute some degree of their support and an alteration to the charter that will permit us to take more unilateral action against the Horsemen.”

“Well, the girls will certainly be glad to hear that.” Fujitaka grinned, “I know I am.”

Tomosato, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. “I sense a ‘but’ in there.”

Ogawa nodded. “As part of the new agreement they’ve decided to overhaul SONG’s command structure. The Oversight Committee is being reformed and more power is being transferred over to them.”

“What?!” Tomosato gaped. “Are they crazy?! The disruption from such changes at this time-”

Ogawa raised a placating hand. “They aren’t starting on that immediately. The current incident is being treated as an interim period and the existing arrangement maintained until the Horsemen are dealt with for good.”

“Oh.” Tomosato paused, but then shook her head. “I still don’t like it. Things were working fine.”

“Officially, the changes will reassure the public that SONG and the girls are properly accountable to the rule of law. Unofficially, it’s clear they want to bolster the influence of the other countries on the Committee at the expense of Japan.” Ogawa shrugged. “And it’s not like they don’t entirely have a point. We are supposed to be an international organization. It’s mainly circumstantial inertia that we’re so Japanese.” A worried frown wormed its way across his face. “Although, they also mentioned that a decision was made about the Symphogears.”

Fujitaka sat up in alarm but lowered his voice so the lower ranks couldn’t hear. “They didn’t find out about Sumphonia, did they?”

Commander Ogawa shook his head. “They said the decision did not involve the current adaptors or their Symphogears at all.”

He didn’t dare tell the committee about what they’d found out in Panau. Hell, he didn’t trust most of SONG with that information. Elfnein had assured him that the hard drives she was storing that information on, both what they had recovered from the Horsemen and what she was now collecting independently, were totally disconnected from anything else. He would not have a repeat of the girls’ identities being exposed, not with something that had the potential to be even **_more _**politically explosive.

Tomosato’s brow furrowed. “The _current _adaptors?”

The commander shrugged. “They didn’t provide any details over the telecommunications, given Red Unit and all. They wanted to keep this from the Four Horsemen for as long as possible.” 

Everyone grimaced at that. Ogawa knew from both his old contacts and his brother’s that cyberwarfare specialists with the relevant clearance, and some without the clearance under the guise of dealing with a hypothetical, were being consulted globally to try and figure out if there was some way they could lock out the Red Unit from global information networks like they managed with Yggdrasil. The reactions tended to range from hysterical laughter to uncontrollable sobbing.

The problem boiled down to two simple facts. First, insanely powerful relic it may have been, Yggdrasil hadn’t actually been an AI and hence lacked the adaptability and decision-making capabilities of a proper superintelligent AI. Second, its interfacing with humanity’s high technological networks had not been as ‘clean’ as Red Unit’s apparently was. The experts theorized that the former had been built to interact with biological computers rather than digital ones, unlike the latter. The only solution they could suggest was complete systems isolation, which was impractical on a large-scale. Otherwise, anything else could be breached with enough time and effort. Although they suggested that a brute-force hack against more secure systems would be quite noticeable.

Regardless, it invariably meant that certain news had to now go the very old-fashioned way. And this sounded like that sort of news.

“So should we be expecting a courier?” Elfnein finally asked, not even looking up from her station.

“No.” Ogawa clarified. “I’m flying out to New York tomorrow for a meeting with some of the expanded committee. They will give me more details there.” He gave an encouraging smile to them. “I can count on all of you to hold down the fort here, right?”

“Easily, commander.” Tomosato nodded. “Have a safe trip.”

Ogawa turned for the door. “I’ll be in my office making preparations.”

—

A knock rang out across the office. Ogawa checked the time before he glanced across the room. “Enter.”

Yoshigara entered the room, a smart tablet in one hand, his usual briefcase in the other.

“Commander Ogawa.” He greeted with a nod. “I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time?”

“Yoshigara.” Ogawa greeted professionally. “No, I’m not busy at all. What is it?”

“It’s a minor problem, minor enough that I’ve been able to handle it, but nonetheless, I feel you should know. Have you seen any of these?” Yoshigara placed the tablet on the table. It was paused on security camera footage showing Shirabe, transformed with Shul-Shagana, skating down a narrow street between two industrial buildings. The frame the video was paused on captured the very moment one of her sawblades took the head off one of the staples in a squad she was literally cutting through. The spurt of blood that accompanied the decapitation hung in the air.

“This is-” Ogawa trailed off.

“Footage of the adaptors killing staples in the various recent battles have been making the rounds online,” Yoshigara said after it became clear that Ogawa was finished. “With some media outlets subsequently picking them up. The camera footage of the attempt on the Kohinatas is the most widespread at the moment.” He frowned as he picked up the tablet to shut it off. “Although none of the footage includes them fighting Automen, curiously enough.”

“Ah.” Ogawa could guess where the PR man was taking this. “I take it that has left people somewhat disturbed?”

Yoshigara nodded. “Yes. Fortunately, I’ve been able to mitigate almost all of the potential damage on my own with a few well placed statements. People have little sympathy for terrorists who don’t hesitate to gun down children.“

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Well, _little _sympathy isn’t the same as _no _sympathy. Additionally,” Yoshigara reached into his briefcase and pulled out a copy of the _Data Gazette_. He flipped open to a page and laid it down on the table. The title of the article read ‘Why the butchery?’ Featured below the title was an attached image of Hibiki charging away from a group of dead staples with her gauntlets covered in blood. “There are some parties who are comparing the ‘slaughter’ with the adaptors performance in Val Verde and wondering why they can’t do the same against the Horsemen.”

Ogawa understood. “The public still doesn’t know the truth behind the staples.”

Yoshigara nodded. “Some corners have noted the unusual behavior of the staples, but most are too caught off guard by the shocking imagery to give that aspect much thought. And remember our first meeting? What I said about expectation formation and betrayal?”

Ogawa thought it over for a little bit. It wasn’t hard to see what Yoshigara was getting at. “People formed the expectation from the released information that the adaptors would be unwilling to take the lives of even hostile armed humans. Now that expectation is betrayed by the sight of them killing what they believe to be humans.”

“Exactly. Even many in the public who support the girl’s actions can’t help but be disturbed by the sight.” Yoshigara grimaced. “And it causes some to ask: if the girls can do this against heavily armed terrorists, what can they do to, for example, a crowded mall if they were to ever let loose in there? Even if they don’t believe any of the girls would actually do that, they can’t help but wonder.”

“You said you were working on this?” Ogawa asked.

“As best I can.” Yoshigara spread his hands. “I just wanted to keep you informed of the situation.”

“I see, thank you.” Ogawa nodded, “Anything else?”

“Yes: I’m aware you’ve approved Tachibana and Kohinata’s request to visit the girl wounded by the Horsemen in their attempted assassination of the Kohinatas?”

“Not approved.” Ogawa corrected. “The girls are free to do what they wish. They merely informed me so I could make arrangements for their security.”

“Ah, yes.” Yoshigara shook his head in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m used to celebrities with more rigid itineraries. Anyways, I figured this would be an opportunity for some good PR. Get some photos of them visiting, show the world that they care for those hurt as well as for those they protected. Help reinforce the perception that they are the protectors of the innocent.”

Ogawa’s eyes narrowed slightly, his body posture very subtly shifting as he leaned forward. “The girls are not for SONG’s PR benefit. We support them, not the other way around.”

“I understand and believe me: this is as much for their benefit as it is for SONG’s.” Yoshigara clarified quickly. “I don’t intend to make it a media circus or anything. I don’t want to do anything that would intrude on their visit. Even leaving aside their feelings, it wouldn’t be as effective if the event wasn’t genuine.”

Ogawa considered the man’s words for a long moment. “Submit a more detailed report on your proposal, including who you intend to take the pictures by tomorrow morning. I’ll review it on the plane to New York, and, if I feel it’s unobtrusive enough, I’ll approve it.”

\----

“Please Shirabe!” Kirika begged, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. “After everything we have been through together, you can’t do this!”

Shirabe shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, Kiri-chan.”

“I’m begging you: don’t do this!”

“It has to be done.” Shirabe solemnly answered, placing down the ‘draw four’ card. “Uno.”

In defeat, Kirika let out a mournful wail of “Death!”

Kawada Iwa looked between the two, unimpressed by the stakes despite her loaded hand. “It’s a card game.”

“Let them have their fun, Kawada. No need to play the _tsukkomi_.” Aimi Teramoto politely pointed out, strangling her giggle as Kirika drew her cards. When Kawada had asked her to join in this get together with two other new friends, Aimi had been surprised that Kawada had made two new friends. When Aimi had found out who those friends were, she had positively been floored. Both because of Kawada’s attitude towards Akatsuki in the bathroom incident, Tsukuyomi’s own killer gaze when she had interrogated Aimi about the bathroom incident, and because_ holy shit Aimi was now hanging out with actual world-saving supergirls_.

And they were adorable together. Though Aimi wasn’t sure whether she should say that aloud. Maybe they acted shameless but didn’t like it when other people pointed it out? Well, Akatsuki seemed like she wouldn’t mind but Tsukuyomi might. She had caused Kawada to jump out of her skin by sneaking up behind her when they first met. Although the way the twin-tailed girl had placed a ‘be quiet’ finger over her lips to Aimi when spotted indicated she did it as a joke. Maybe? But if she upset Kirika, would she also upset Tsukuyomi? And maybe ohmygodshewashangingoutwith_twoactualsymphogears_! How the hell did Kawada manage to keep her cool?

Kawada, for her part, let her mind drift elsewhere as she drew her own card. She had enough knowledge now that she figured she could now formulate an actionable plan. The biggest obstacle at the moment was the question of where she could get her hands on any LiNKER. SONG’s headquarters was the obvious answer. Maybe she could leverage her friendship with Kirika and Shirabe some way? No, wait, she couldn’t betray them.

Kawada shook her head. What the hell was she thinking? The whole point of this was justice for Katai! It couldn’t be a betrayal when this friendship wasn’t even real… right?

Of course, the others couldn’t help but notice that she just shook her head. “Everything alright, Kawada?” Kirika asked.

“Ah… yeah!” Kawada quickly answered, “Just frustrated how poorly I’m doing this game.” Probably because that’s not where her mind was.

“It isn’t really your usual kind of card game.” Shirabe noted, “At least, not here in Japan. We learned to play it in America.”

“I think I get it, at least.” Aimi observed, placing down another card into the discard pile.

“Not as well as you thought.” Shirabe answered, as she flipped her last card down onto the pile.

“And Shirabe wins.” Kirika sighed melodramatically. “So… Aimi, right? What do you like to do?”

Aimi jerked up as if shot, instinctively falling into an extremely formal tone. “Ah! I’m sure Akatsuki-sama would be quite bored by anything I like.”

“Please don’t talk to us that way.” Shirabe pre-empted her girlfriend’s reply. “We’re not daimyo.”

“They don’t like it, Aimi.” Kawada added, shuffling the Uno cards. “They want to save people, yes. But they also want to live normal lives. They don’t want the loneliness of being put on a pedestal like that.”

‘_And how will we live normal lives, even if Sumphonia means we don’t lose ourselves?_’ Shirabe wondered but didn’t voice aloud. She shoved the thought aside. They couldn’t afford to worry about such things if they didn’t want to lose themselves.

Aimi, on the other hand, seemed to have gotten the message. She remained silent for the longest moment before finally beginning. “If that’s the case, there is something I’m a bit curious about you two…”

Kirika gave her an encouraging smile. “Sure! What’s up?” 

“Well… I was kinda wondering when you two realized, you know, that you liked each other.” Aimi asked. Then she hastily waved her hands. “Only if you want to answer, that is.”

“Ah, no, that’s fine.” Kirika answered. “As for when… hmm… I mean, we only properly confessed after Hibiki and Miku did. Them getting together was sort of the realization that we never really made things official between us.”

Shirabe nodded, “But that wasn’t the realization we loved each other, it would be…” Her brow furrowed. “You know, I can’t really remember when we realized it. It just sort of happened unconsciously. We pretty much grew up with each other and became friends based on circumstance. Over time, we grew closer together. I eventually found myself unable to bear a world without Kiri-chan.”

“Unconsciously, huh?” Kawada muttered.

“Aww, that’s so sweet.” Aimi cooed.

Both Shirabe and Kirika blushed, although the latter also scratched at her cheek. “Thanks. But enough about us! Come on: what do you do for fun?”

\----

As Shinji Ogawa stepped in front of the towering United Nations Headquarters in the sweltering summer sun, his thoughts were occupied by the last time he had been here. It had to have been… years ago, when he was still in training. He had been asked to protect some diplomat whose name he could not recall. It had been just a few years before he joined the Second Division. So many things had changed since then.

_And so many more things will change_, he thought to himself. Though none of the people in charge of the Oversight Committee had told him as much during the brief video conference, he was pretty confident that he would remain SONG’s commander at least during the interim period, but there was no guarantee he would even be part of SONG after the Four Horsemen were defeated, much less stay as the commander. And given the new powers the Oversight Committee would have after these changes, he’d be surprised if the commander wouldn’t be reduced to a mere figurehead.

As he walked through the automated door, he felt a nice blast of air conditioning hit him, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief. He checked his time. Three hours until the meeting started. Plenty of time. He walked over to the lobby area and sat down on one of the chairs there. He needed to look presentable and well-rested for the meeting and being out in this weather was not conducive to that.

“The Big Apple’s weather got you down too, eh? Heat island’s a bitch.” Shinji turned next to him and saw a man with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a square jaw. He recognized the man.

“Lieutenant General Shaw,” Shinji greeted.

“It’s General Shaw now. I got promoted after what happened in Panau.” The man said gregariously as he shook hands with the Japanese commander next to him.

“Congratulations,” Shinji complemented.

But the American General waved off the praise. “Thank you, but in all honesty, it was probably to get me away from a field command more than to reward a victory. I wouldn’t have won that battle if it weren’t for your girls. I wasn’t lying when I said I would see them get the Bronze Star. Well, I pulled some strings, so the award ceremony will be in early August. You can expect an invitation soon.”

Ogawa nodded. “So, why are you here then?”

“Same reason you are, I’d imagine. The new Oversight Council is going to have members from various militaries all over the world. I was one of the chosen ones.” The General sighed. “I guess I was picked based on my ‘familiarity’ with the girls or something. Honestly, this is all moving so fast that it makes my head spin.”

“Military figures? In charge of SONG?” Ogawa asked. He could see the usefulness of having experienced generals lead his organization rather than civilian ambassadors. Military leaders tended to be more decisive and results-oriented, at least from Ogawa’s experience. A boon to be sure. But there was always a risk that the military leaders would turn his girls into pawns in some international military conflict, as they were much closer to it than the ambassadors. “Do you know some of the people that’ll be there?” 

“Well, all of the original committee’s civilian representatives have been retained, with only the addition of a few staffers for functionarie purposes. Figure you already know them.” General Shaw said. “As for the new ones, I only know of a few of them, and mostly by reputation. The one I know best is General Veniamin Kurchatov. I met the man once in one of the U.S.-Russian negotiations in Ukraine. He came across as cordial, level-headed, and tough as nails. He’s reasonable but not someone you want as an enemy.”

“I see.” Ogawa said. He’ll make note this ‘General Kurchatov’ character in the future.

The American general snapped his fingers and had the expression of someone who remembered something important. “Word of advice about Kurchatov,” General Shaw added. “Always go straight to the man. _Never _try to go through his second. General Ilin always has a stick up his ass and is too patriotic for his own good.”

“Define ‘patriotic’.”

“He thinks the Russian Army should try to go all the way to the Atlantic this time around.”

Ogawa nodded in understanding. “Personal experience?”

“Personal experience.” Shaw confirmed. “The only other person I know with any kind of certainty is General Shin Fai. He was leading the Chinese forces at Panau during the raid on the facility. Presumably, he’s also being brought on because of his ‘familiarity’. He’s as pragmatic as Kurchatov, but he’s a lot more hot-headed. Though that may have been because I talked to him when he thought I had attacked his men.”

“That will do it.” Ogawa could imagine how he’d feel if, say, the JSDF suddenly opened fire on one of the girls.

“His main rep though is as a disciplinarian. So expect him to be rather harsh about any breaches in protocol.”

“Ah… I’m guessing he wouldn’t be very happy about my stunt in Panau then.”

Shaw glanced around surreptitiously before dropping his voice a bit. “He suspects. The Chinese had their own sensors up after all. But since he doesn’t have any evidence that you faked an error, I doubt he’ll push the issue.”

Shinji nodded. “And the others?”

“Just two more: German General Teufel and French Admiral Gosselin. Only know them by reputation. Teufel is competent enough, but apparently a bit of a yeller when upset. Gosselin, from what I’ve heard, could be a bit difficult. Word is he’s expressed reservations about SONG, so he might be a contrarian.“

“Do you know what kind of reservations he has?” Shinji asked.

But General Shaw shrugged. “I wish I could tell you. From what I can tell, it’s not one single thing he doesn’t like. I’m not even sure why he was even considered for this position, to be honest.” 

Shinji smiled. So the kind of contrarian that finds _something _wrong with you no matter what? He’d been handling that kind of person ever since the Four Horsemen blew apart the masquerade.

—

“Now then, let’s commence with the first meeting of the new Oversight Committee,” Furuse Kazushige, the Japanese representative, began.

Seated around the meeting table, all of the previous civilian members of the Oversight Committee were still members of this new council. The new additions - General Shaw, General Shin Fai, General Kurchatov, General Teufel, and Admiral Gosselin. Seems Shaw was right on the money then.

“The first item on our agenda,” Furuse said. “Should be the recent deal proposed by the Australians. A few of the people in this room are unaware of the contents of this proposal. Representative Zhong Gaunting, perhaps you could explain?”

“Yes!” The Chinese representative said eagerly. “The Australian proposal was introduced to us very recently, and it has excited a lot of people in my home country.”

“Including you, I see.” Keegan Hunter, the British Representative, noted with some humor in his voice. A few of the people in the room politely chuckled.

The Chinese representative looked a bit sheepish for a moment before continuing. “The deal, as discussed previously, would allow SONG’s charter to be extended, allowing it to act offensively towards explicitly anti-SONG organizations that engage in criminality.” 

“So, when you say ‘anti-SONG’, what are you saying?” Admiral Gosselin questioned.

“Well, the best example would be a group like the Four Horsemen, a terrorist group whose explicit purpose includes harming SONG, its members, and its supporters.”

“Sounds to me like this is just a rule made up to deal with a group SONG doesn’t like. The Four Horsemen wouldn’t exist if SONG just up and dissolved tomorrow.” Admiral Gosselin said.

Only his sense of professionalism prevented Shinji from banging his head against the wall. “Are you serious?” He asked the Frenchmen in a steady tone. “You do realize that the Four Horsemen have attacked more than just SONG, correct? They’ve assassinated several Japanese and American civilians, including politicians, attempted to kidnap entire families, and, just recently, murdered several middle school girls.”

“The Horsemen also implemented a hostile takeover of Panau, one of my nation’s allies,” added General Shin Fai. “All the while displaying military technology beyond anything we’ve ever seen.”

“Not to mention their recent attack in Germany. Even if it was ostensibly against former members of the Illuminati, they murdered entire families, including children.” General Teufel said angrily. 

“Nobody said that the Horsemen aren’t a threat.” The French Admiral hastily added. “But what I’m saying is that, if we’re going to have a rule that says SONG can get involved in conflicts that benefit the organization primarily, it could create a perverse incentive. What’s stopping some future leader of SONG from using that particular clause as an excuse to destroy legitimate opposition to the organization?”

“I see nothing wrong with it.” Gaunting countered. “The stipulation is that the anti-SONG organization in question has to pose a credible, physical threat to the organization and its members. Anything that can pose a credible physical threat to a Symphogear adaptor is a threat to everyone.”

The French Admiral looked a bit miffed, but remained silent.

“In any case,” Guanting continued. “The new stipulation comes with two new reforms necessary to making SONG a truly international organization. The first was a reform of the Oversight Committee. Besides adding new members, the Committee will simultaneously have more power over SONG’s affairs and become more independent from the UN as a body.” 

“So you want the commander of the organization to have less power while making sure SONG still has the flexibility to react to emergencies.” Commander Shinji mused. “Makes sense. But in that case, what powers would the commander retain?”

“Tactical decision-making, mostly.” Guanting answered. “The commander will still have the highest authority on the ground. However, we’ll be expecting monthly performance reviews and stricter controls over the budget. In addition, if SONG were to undertake any major projects in the vein of something like Project Ignite, the Commander would have to gain our direct approval of the Committee.”

“You mentioned that the Committee is going to be more independent from the UN. Could you explain that?” General Shaw spoke up.

“Ah, I believe I’d be the best to explain this.” Kazushige took out some papers onto his desk and shuffled them. “Or rather, my deceased predecessor, Yatsuhiro Kazanari. Before his death, he wrote persuasively about the need for SONG to remain independent of the constraints of the day-to-day bureaucracy given the scale of the threats it may face. A particularly enlightening example came during the attempted apprehension of Noble Red in the days leading up to Shem-Ha’s awakening. The Symphogear users manifested a new ability in the middle of battle dubbed ‘Amalgam’ that had no negative side effects and almost allowed them to apprehend the alchemists.”

“Let me guess: the bleeding-heart pencil pushers didn’t like it?” Shaw grumbled.

“Not quite. More like it served as an excuse for some antagonistic elements to briefly suspend SONG’s ability to act via bureaucratic rules-lawyering. Had SONG not been so restrained, we might have averted Shem-Ha’s resurrection entirely.” The mention of the Custodian’s name caused everyone in the room to shift uncomfortably.

The American general nodded affirmingly. “This Yatsuhiro guy seemed to have been onto something then.”

“I see his point. However, we’ll need to hold ourselves accountable to the strictest of standards, lest we become tyrants.” General Fai said with a slight glance towards Ogawa.

“Well, we’re still part of the UN and a new Security Council agreement could overturn the entire thing.” Kazushige shrugged, “In any case, I think we should move on.” He turned to the French representative. “Why don’t you start?”

“Thank you. The second item of reform was the expansion of the current roster of Symphogear users.” Beaufils noted. “Both the construction of additional new Symphogears and recruitment of adaptors for them.”

Ogawa went rigid. _What?!_

“I’ll admit to being slightly confused on that point. Has work on the Sakurai Theory progressed far enough for that?” Asked Hunter.

“On a global level, it should be possible. Ahnenerbe, GRU-P, the Los Alamos Institute, and other national supernatural organizations have agreed to cooperate in this matter. With their data, a few relic fragments, and SONG’s technical teams, it will be time-consuming but doable.” Kazushige confirmed. “The search for candidates in America, Russia, and Western Europe is still ongoing.” He glanced over at Guanting, “But I understand the Chinese already have their own candidate, correct?”

“Yes,” replied the Chinese representative, removing a series of papers from the stack next to him and passing them around. “We chose her out of a dozen other candidates. She has the right personality for the job and has a better synchronization rate with our relic than any of the others.”

General Kurchatov, who had been quiet for most of the meeting, turned to the Chinese representative. “Tell me you’re screening out minors.”

“Of course we are,” General Shin Fai snapped. “We have standards.”

“They’re pretty limiting standards.” Becker mused. “There is a rather strong correlation between the recent generations and potential compatibility, for whatever reason.”

Shinji noticed Shaw cringe slightly at Becker’s comment, but otherwise nobody commented. It’d be counterproductive to bring up the unmitigated human rights disaster that was FIS and its Receptor Children program. Even if a bunch of the research contributed to the Sakurai Theory, the way it was carried out led in large part to the downfall of America on the world stage.

Ogawa studied the papers in the file when it finally made its way to him. A picture of an attractive young woman with black hair and brown eyes was the first thing he laid eyes upon before he looked over the rest of the paper. Her name was Qiao Cai, she was eighteen years of age and approximately 160 centimeters tall, etc. Looking at her background, she appeared to be a pop-star of some renown, at least in her native country. Her parents were high up in the Chinese civil service, or at least as high as one could get without party membership, which would explain how she came to the attention of the Chinese Symphogear project. Her personality was personable but self-important. She appeared to have been a fan of the Symphogear adaptors ever since knowledge of their existence became public in the aftermath of the Kadinger Incident. Her synchronization rates were about on par with Shirabe and Kirika’s during the Frontier Incident. A little LiNKER, and she would have no problems attuning to a relic. 

And then they’d have someone becoming Sumphonia with no idea that it was occurring or whether she could handle it, even assuming the Horsemen didn’t get her first. Damn. He and Elfnein would have to find some way around this.

“It’s a bad idea. Doing this while the Four Horsemen are at large.” Kurchatov muttered, staring out the window across the East River. “We know what they think of anyone who wields a Symphogear. Whoever is chosen to become a full-fledged adaptor will have a giant target painted on her back.” He glanced over at Ogawa. “And they won’t have the same training and experience your girls do. Not to mention the amount of time it takes to synchronize with a relic fragment… I doubt they’d be able to defend themselves during this interim period.”

“You sound like a worried grandfather.” Gosselin observed.

Kurchatov chuckled, shaking his head. “Well, I am old enough to be most of these girls’ grandfather.”

Kazushige coughed politely to regain everyone’s attention. “While your objection is noted, General Kurchatov, the decision has already been made. If there isn’t anything else, then we can begin the briefing on how further budgeting decision will be handled.”

Well, sounded like the interesting stuff was over. Shinji knew that all the rest would be boring, frustrating, and painfully necessary. So, time to get to work.

\----

“Hello again, Emily.” Maria said, taking her seat next to the unconscious girl. Miku’s would-be assassin had been moved into a secure section of the Yokosuka base hospital, well away from any of the other occupied wings. She was no longer so much strapped down to the new bed as she was shackled to it by metal clamps, including ones which braced her neck and head. Maria doubted it would do much if the… whatever the hell it was manifested itself again.

“We beat two of your aunt’s co-workers.” Maria began, then abruptly stopped. What point was there just talking to someone in a coma? Someone she barely even knew. Instead, The pinkette lapsed into silence, letting the only noise hospital monitor just beep away. A bored part of her considered singing Apple, but she shot that down right away. It couldn’t be any coincidence that Emily manifested those powers right as Maria sang that song.

Once again, Maria’s thoughts drifted to Emily’s aunt. SONG managed to acquire Samantha’s personnel records from the American Army, and Maria had read it quite thoroughly just a while ago. By all accounts, Samantha adored Emily to the point one would think she was her mother rather than her aunt. Why would she send her niece on a suicide mission then? It just didn’t make sense.

Maria leaned back, closing her eyes with a sigh. She probably wasn’t going to get any answers unless Emily woke up and became responsive again.

“Excuse me?” A somewhat familiar but yet somehow still quite different voice asked in English. Maria’s eyes snapped open at that to find Emily’s wide awake and staring dully at her with slight concern.

“Where am I?” Emily asked. Her voice had fear and confusion in it, but it was the sort of fear and confusion more commonly associated with someone finding that they were out of milk rather than completely immobilized in a hospital bed. “Who are you? Why am I strapped down?”

“Emily?” Maria muttered in surprise.

“Emily.” The girl echoed for a moment, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. “Who is that? Me?”

\----

**Next Chapter: **Bundle the Bonds

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m aware that the implication of Komichi taking Chris’s hand in the flashback scenes does result in a change to the meaning of first line of Monochrome’s lyrics, but it isn’t that substantial of a change from canon. After all, Chris is referring to two people in that line: Hibiki and Miku. And maybe Tsubasa, too, given season 1, episode 10. And maybe Genjuro because, ya know, all of that three episode stretch of season 1? It isn’t that much of a stretch to make it also apply to a third/fourth/fifth person (in this case, Komichi). The flashback to the canon scenes (although obviously told from Komichi’s perspective and elaborated on slightly) in this chapter also illustrates why I went with her: she actually says the most lines of this background trio to Chris. It’s a thin basis with which to ship two characters, but hell I’ve shipped on thinner.


	18. Bundle the Bonds

Distortions  
Chapter 18:  
Bundle the Bonds

\----

[15Z601 Secure Access. Please Enter Authentication: ******* ]  
[Authentication Verified]  
[BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA Clearance Verified]  
[Archival Request Granted]  
[15Z601 Audio Log #61001-K-2033. Date: 07/25/2045 03:45 GMT]  
[NOTE: Log Classified BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA. Per Red Unit COMSEC Protocols, TFH-WU Callsigns Are Used For Speakers.]

[15Z601 Link Established. Log Begins.]

**The Lamb: **Red Unit’s secured the line. You’ve received my report?  
**P-108:** Yes.  
**The Lamb:** They’re keeping the location of the fragment a closely guarded secret for now.  
**P-108:** It’s a fragment of the Shield of Xingtian. They move it around constantly.  
**The Lamb:** How did… you know what, never mind. It doesn’t matter what relic it is. We will destroy it regardless.  
**P-108: **Prospects for future operations?  
**The Lamb: **The deal with the Chinese elements has let us recoup some of the losses. Most of our options for August are now back on the table, although we will have to be selective. The delay on Scenario 44 is still in effect, but that can work for us. Until Project Sabin is complete, we’ll continue as we are.  
**P-108: **Relic hunting?  
**The Lamb: **Yes. That operation is still on schedule. If they’re planning to create more Symphogears, then destroying their relics comes first. If it succeeds, then we cut into SONG’s little expansion plan before it even gets off the ground.  
**P-108:** Retrieval is difficult.  
**The Lamb: **Yet still doable.  
**P-108:** I see.  
**The Lamb: **I’ll be keeping my ears open here.

[15Z601 Link Terminated. Log Ends]

\----

“Total retrograde amnesia.” Elfnein confirmed, glancing between the medical report and the hospital room door where Emily rested. “In fact, I’ve never seen such a comprehensive loss of procedural memory before.”

Souji, Tsubasa, Maria, Miku, and Hibiki sat in the hall in front of her. With Shinji overseas, the elder Ogawa was standing in for him. Tsubasa had already been on base when Maria called in that Emily was awake. Miku had insisted on coming when the news reached her. And Hibiki, of course, wouldn’t let her girlfriend confront her would-be-assassin by herself.

“Did she burn them like Carol did?” Maria asked.

But Elfnein shook her head. “No. As I said, the loss is far too clean and comprehensive. Even Carol, when she burned all her memories, retained some hazy recollection that she had something important which she lost. I suppose the ashes left by a fire is the most fitting analogy for that. But for Emily, it’s like she never had anything to begin with. Not so much destruction as total eradication. It seems more like it was a side-effect of whatever that reaction was than a source of power.”

“Is she okay?” Miku finally asked, peering past Elfnein at the door. The lingering vision of Emily’s father in his final moments had compelled her to see how Emily was doing. But though the Shenshoujing user felt she had to be there, she found herself at a bit of a loss as to what to do.

“Physically, all checks so far show she’s just fine. And mentally… well, she seems to be taking this with a lot less confusion then I would expect.” Elfnein said. “She just doesn’t remember anything.” 

“Can we see her?” Maria asked.

“Seeing visitors should be no problem for her.” Elfnein answered, glancing over at Ogawa. “And I doubt she’d pose any sort of security risk in her present condition.”

Miku was the first to her feet at that, although the others very quickly got up as well. At the sight, Elfnein raised her hands to steady their excitement. “Let me take the lead in introductions.”

Emily looked up from the magazine in her lap as they entered. She couldn’t read any Japanese, so mostly she was just reading them for the pictures.

“Oh, hello.” She greeted in English, not even a glimmer of recognition in her eyes. A translation machine attached to the hospital equipment filtered her words, although among this group that was mainly for the benefit of Hibiki and, to a lesser extent, Miku. “They say my name is Emily Acampora.”

“Emily, these are some of the people I told you about.” Elfnein replied in English, indicating them in turn. “Tsubasa Kazanari, Maria Candezavna Eve, Hibiki Tachibana, Miku Kohinata, and Souji Ogawa.”

“Miku Kohinata?” Emily looked at Miku thoughtfully. “They said I tried to kill you.”

Miku bit her lip, her eyes drifting down in guilt, despite the comforting presence of Hibiki’s hand in her own. For her part, Hibiki quietly and subtly shifted forward so she was slightly closer to Emily then Miku, just in case.

“But you seem so nice.” Emily continued. “Why would I want to kill you?”

Miku inhaled sharply. The idle compliment - more an observation really - stung worse than any insult could have. She turned away from Emily sharply, prompting Hibiki to embrace her girlfriend. Miku curled into the hug. As Hibiki comfortingly stroked her sunshine’s hair, she sent a hard look back at Emily.

Emily withdrew slightly at Hibiki’s gaze. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make her upset. If anything, I thought she would be upset with me.”

“You tried to kill Kohinata because you believe she killed your father when she was brainwashed by a third-party.” Tsubasa answered, keeping her voice cool. “And Kohinata was convinced that she did indeed do it, and that it’s her fault. Even if it isn’t.”

Understanding dawned across Emily’s face and she glanced away. “Oh. I see. I guess I can see why then. Maybe if I didn’t know you were brainwashed, and I was close enough with my father… then I could see why I might react that way. I’m sorry.”

While everyone else debated whether to point out to Emily that she had known that Miku was brainwashed, the girl in question steadily gathered her whits. Hibiki didn’t blame her, the others didn’t blame her, even Emily apparently didn’t blame her any more. So why couldn’t she stop blaming herself? Again the memory of Alex’s last moments flashed through her head. That had to be why. That memory was just too real for her to let go of.

“It’s fine.” She finally murmured, reluctantly separating herself from Hibiki who let go only even more reluctantly. Miku turned back towards Emily, wiping away the tears she had held back. “I should apologize too, for trusting Doctor Ver.”

“That’s okay.” Emily answered. “I can’t remember it anyway.”

“Do you remember your father?” Maria asked gently.

Emily shook her head. “I don’t remember anything. Nothing except…” She paused, tilting her head as her face twisted in thought. “A vague impression of hatred and intrigue. But it doesn’t feel like my own emotions. It’s so alien and different. I’m sorry, I’m not making sense, am I?”

Elfnein scribbled some notes on her clipboard and said, “That sounds like a mental remnant of a foreign mind invasion.”

“A post-hypnotic suggestion?” Director Ogawa asked.

“Nothing like that showed up in any of the checks.” Elfnein tapped her pencil on her clipboard for a moment in thought. “Maybe it was something left by that reaction rather than any hypnosis.”

Tsubasa studied Emily for a long moment. “You seem to be taking all of this really well.”

“Am I?” Emily asked. She looked down at her hands, her gaze uncertain. “I feel as if I should be more worried. More panicked and confused. That isn’t to say I am not any of those things. But the feelings are so...“ She paused, searching for the words. “Dull.”

Elfnein also frowned. “Your reactions do seem much more restrained compared to when we first met, but then you were in a very agitated state during our initial meetings.” She glanced at Director Ogawa. “I’d like to run some MRI and CT scans on her, check the brain activity.”

“It’s noninvasive, so it should be fine.” Director Ogawa looked over at Emily, “With your permission, of course.”

Emily shrugged. “I don’t really have anything else to do.” She paused for a moment, thinking. “Did I… do I still have a mother?”

Everyone else in the room looked at Souji, who felt as if he had just stepped into a minefield, though he didn’t show it in the least. The legality of Emily’s detainment was, to say the least, complicated. Premeditated attempted murder by a minor in a foreign country was not a common legal situation to begin with, even before one factored in the target of said murder attempt, an agent of the UN who was tremendously important to international security. The response from the US Government, when informed of Emily’s detainment and the reason behind it, had been something along the lines of, “Just don’t mistreat her, and you can hold her for as long as you need.”

But Emily’s continued detainment was still not a widely-known public matter. It wasn’t being kept secret per say, but SONG wasn’t telling anyone of its own volition, and no one was asking. 

Then again, the other Gear users were looking at him. He didn’t know for sure, but he could guess based on their profiles that they might not like it if he lied or just flat out denied Emily permission to see her own mother. And he couldn’t even disagree with their point of view, given how cooperatively the blonde was behaving right now.

“You do.” Souji finally answered. “We’ll see what can be done to contact her, if you would like.”

There, a non-committal offer that left plenty of wiggle room.

“Please.” Emily said. “I’d like to get to know her. Again.”

“Would you like to get to know us?” Miku asked. Hibiki turned in surprise at her girlfriend’s suggestion. For a moment, the thought of objecting crossing her mind. But then she considered it some more. Emily didn’t seem to harbor any ill will towards Miku anymore. If Miku could forgive the girl for trying to kill her, then so could Hibiki.

And perhaps, it’d help Miku forgive herself.

Emily remained silent for a moment as she considered the question before saying, “Sure.”

—

“You are very good at this.” Tsubasa said several hours later as her fingers hovered over the last two cards in Emily’s hand.

“Do you think so?” Emily asked, although her expression didn’t even change minutely no matter which of the two cards the bluenette seemed to be about to choose.

“Definitely!” Hibiki chimed in. “You could probably give Shirabe a run for her money. Were you-” She paused for a moment as she recalled. “Right, you wouldn’t remember.”

Emily simply nodded in the affirmative. Every attempt to get to know her over the past few hours had run into a brick wall on the issue of her amnesia. As a result, she had spent the past few hours just getting to know the four adaptors. That said, it didn’t entirely prevent them from getting a picture of the girl as she was now.

The natural comparison all four of them arrived at was Shirabe, except there was one crucial difference: Shirabe was a much more passionate person than she appeared at first glance. Emily, on the other hand, showed no more then she felt, and it was very obvious she didn’t feel a lot.

Souji had only stayed for a half-hour further, to make sure that Emily was being genuine, before departing. Elfnein had lingered a bit longer, to run a few in-room tests, before she too had to depart because of her own schedule.

Finally, Tsubasa decided that since Emily was so hard to read she should just take the dive and select a card, adding it to her hand. A small victorious smile crossed her lips as she saw it was the Ace of Spades.

Emily gave a slight sigh as she laid down the Joker card. “You win.”

“I was lucky.” Tsubasa answered.

“Excuse me.” Everyone looked over to see Elfnein re-entering the room. “We’re going to run Emily’s MRI test.”

“Ah, I guess we better head out then.” Maria said.

“Thank you.” Emily glanced between everyone, a small smile that only seemed to barely reach her eyes playing across her face. “It was nice to get to know you all. And again, I’m sorry.”

“We’ll visit again later in the week!” Hibiki grinned, trying to lift the girls spirits. “And we’ll bring some of our other friends too!”

Emily just nodded in acknowledgement, gently waving goodbye as the four adaptors left Elfnein and her to get ready.

“She’s like a completely different person now.” Miku muttered as they left.

“She was quite angry when we first met her.” Maria pointed out. “Maybe she only gets like that when upset?”

—

“This definitely is not how Emily normally behaves.” Elfnein said to Director Ogawa a few hours later as she spread the images of the MRI and CT scans on the desk before them. “Look, the scans on the right are Emily’s, while the ones on the left are for an average fifteen year old.”

Souji could spot the difference almost immediately. “These regions on Emily’s scans are a lot darker.”

Elfnein nodded. “Those are the centers of the brain that control various emotional responses. Across the Amygdala, Hypothalamus, Limbic Cortex, and the Hippocampus, there is simply less going on there. Especially the Hippocampus, as you can see.”

Souji could see. In relative terms, Emily’s Hippocampus was positively a nightscape compared to an ordinary fifteen year old. “Isn’t the Hippocampus where memory is stored?”

“Yes, exactly. In particular, these blacked out regions are where all of the procedural memories are stored. By these scans, Emily barely has any, and I’m willing to bet what she does have are all from today.” Elfnein shook her head. Despite the differences, it reminded her far too much of Carol. “As for the other areas, they’re still functioning but a lot less active. Whatever that reaction was, it outright reduced her ability to feel emotions.”

Souji pondered that for a moment, one overriding question leaping out at him. “With such a loss of memory and alteration to her personality… could she even be considered the same person?”

\----

‘_Another day, another training session._’ Tsubasa thought as she stepped into the simulator room the next day. Killing simulated staples was old hat by now for everyone, although she would hesitate to say they were comfortable with it at this point. They had moved on towards more complicated scenarios, having to protect or attack large spaces against a variety of the different sort of Horsemen forces they had encountered so far.

Looking around, Tsubasa noticed that Fujitaka, Chris, Miku, and Elfnein were practically in a group huddle, with Hibiki standing slightly adjacent to them making no effort to hide that she was listening in. Curious, she moved towards them.

“So I figured it would be something we have to prepare for.” Chris was finishing up. “And it’s a scenario only Shenshoujing can really do, absent X-Drive.”

“It’s a possibility.” Miku agreed, before glancing over at Elfnein. “Could the Shenshoujing handle that?”

“Well, it already has flight by default.” Elfnein mused, “The real question is how to handle the data-feeds. That’s the only way to maintain situational awareness in such a fight.” The Alchemist paused to think it over. “Yes, the modifications to the Shenshoujing should be quite doable, if a bit more complicated than the camera one. Something like the DFS’s head mounted display for the interface, minus the actual DFS of course.”

“Could it be something other than that headset?” Hibiki chipped in, shifting uncomfortably. “Bad memories of that, and I didn’t like how it hid your eyes.” Miku blushed lightly as she caught the complimentary undertone.

“Maybe a clear glass instead?” Chris suggested, “Kinda like my sniping mode?”

“Alternate HMDs should be within the Symphogear’s capabilities.” Elfnein agreed. “I’ll look into it while doing data collection.”

“And I can pencil in a separate training session to work on the practicals tomorrow.” Fujitaka added.

Tsubasa couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer. “Work on the practicals of what?”

“Ah, senpai.” Chris said. “Just a thought that occurred to me in Panau. Something only this girl could handle.” She nodded towards Miku before checking the time. “I can fill you in on more of the details after the training session.”

Everyone else likewise checked their watches, seeing that indeed the appointed time had arrived.

“Okay!” Fujitaka spoke up, catching the attention of Maria and the Zababa duo from their own conversation. “Today, we figured we would start out doing something a little different.” He glanced at Miku. “Namely, we’re going to try and unlock Kohinata’s Amalgam.”

“Huh.” Chris scratched her head. “Can Shenshoujing even activate Amalgam?”

“It should be able to, yes.” Elfnein answered. “A Faust Robe rebuilt with Symphogear parts is the same as a Symphogear rebuilt with Faust Robe parts. The only differences should be cosmetic.”

“What’s the point?” Kirika asked, kicking at the ground somewhat morosely. “The Horsemen gas us with Anti-LiNKER every time we fight them. We can’t access Amalgam on our older armors.”

“I’m still working on the antagonist formula!” Elfnein quickly tried to reassure her. “I’m sorry I’ve been so slow, but the Horsemen have presented us with so many different challenges.”

“It’s alright, Elfnein.” Shirabe said. “We know you try your best.”

Maria bent forward to gently pat the Alchemist’s head. “Just don’t overwork yourself, okay?”

“I won’t.” Elfnein nodded, a note of excitement crept into her features. “Kirika and Shirabe are planning on taking me to an amusement park in a few days!”

Fujitaka politely coughed to regain everyone's attention. “In any case, that makes it even more important that we devote at least some time to unlocking Kohinata’s Amalgam. These training sessions are the only time we can guarantee a Anti-LiNKER free environment, and it would be more reliable if she already knew how to use it when the antagonist is ready.”

“I see.” Tsubasa said. “So how do we begin?”

Fujitaka laughed nervously. “Well, that’s sorta where I hit a wall. Because, ah, nobody knows how to activate Amalgam besides how you girls do it. So, erm...“ He gestured towards them. “What are your ideas?”

Miku, eagerness written over her features, turned to the others. “Maybe you could describe it?”

“Sure!” Hibiki said, “All you have to do is… um…”

Dead silence hung over the room as they mulled the question.

Kirika scratched at her head. “We… never really think about how we use our ‘Gears, do we?”

“It’s kind of instinctual, more than anything else.” Maria agreed. “We just… do what we need to do.”

“This isn’t working.” Chris said, scowling. “What else can we do?”

“Well,” Shirabe said, thinking back. “We all activated it at a moment of extreme threat. So for Miku, we'd have to… put her… in an extremely dangerous...” She trailed off as she became acutely aware of what she was suggesting and the looks everyone was giving her. Particularly Hibiki. _Especially _Hibiki. ”Nevermind.”

“You might be onto something there.” Elfnein cut in, drawing all the stares of disbelief onto her. “We just don’t make it something _actually _dangerous.”

“Ah,” Tsubasa smiled in realization. “The joys of modern simulation technology.”

—

Miku stood in the middle of the simulation room, already transformed into the Shenshoujing. Elfnein, Fujitaka, and the other adaptors watched her from the control room. Fujitaka leaned forward and clicked the intercom button. “Alright, Miku. We’re starting.”

The white walls of the simulator room vanished and Miku found herself standing on a city intersection, a large shadow cast across her. Looking up, a shimmering red-orange dragon with purple-green splotches hovered dozens of meters in the air above her. Its eight heads stared right down at her.

The Alca-Noise roared… and then vanished in an instant as a massive purple beam consumed the entire thing. Silence hung in the control room for a few seconds as the simulation terminated with all targets destroyed.

“Huh,” Chris grunted. “Did that guy really give us trouble?”

“Do we have anything tougher than that?” Fujitaka asked.

Elfnein shook her head. “That was the toughest Noise we have on record.”

“Ah! I’m sorry!” Miku’s voice, marked with some embarrassment, came over the speakers. “Was I not supposed to fight back or…”

“It’s alright, Miku!” Elfnein said. “We want to make this as realistic as possible. I think it’s more we underestimated how powerful you all have become.”

Kirika mulled over the problem. “Should we try large numbers?”

“I think we’re going to have to go with something that isn’t Noise.” Tsubasa said. “And I don’t think anything we have anything from the Horsemen that will do it.”

“I think I have an idea.” Elfnein answered before she clicked the intercom. “Alright. Miku, we’re going to have to try something else, get ready.“

Back in the simulation room, Miku just nodded as she readied her fan. Again, the blank white walls shimmered away, replaced by an urban environment. But Miku swiftly noticed one key difference: instead of a maze of city streets, the region in front of her was instead a large park with an immense vertical red wall looming up in front of her.

Wait... that wasn’t a wall, it was a neck. Miku craned her head back to follow it up where to finally spot the triangle ‘head’ looming hundreds of meters overhead, where the red was interrupted by a mosaic of eldritch colors, instantly recognizable as the same sort of ‘skin’ which featured on the Babylonian Noise. A pair of antennae topped off the monstrosity as it nosed down, appearing to ‘look’ at Miku.

A little bit of fear worked its way into Miku’s heart. She knew what this was. She had seen Hibiki destroy it in person.

In the control room, Chris probably would have choked if she had been drinking something. “The Red Dragon of Revelations?!”

“Well, that escalated quickly.” Shirabe said.

“Oh! I get it!” Kirika’s eyes sparkled as if she had some tremendous realization. “Because we’re fighting the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!” The look Chris gave her was dry enough to stand in for an Arabian desert.

“You… don’t think that’s a bit much?” Tsubasa asked.

“It can’t actually hurt her.” Although Elfnein sounded mostly confident, her voice did have a little bit of doubt creep into it.

Back in the simulation, Miku shot away from where she was hovering just in time for the Dragon’s main beam weapon to tear into the earth. The immense explosion ejected the Shenshoujing user higher into the air, but she recovered mid-flip with her Ionocraft modules and swung back around to again rain down an immense barrage of her own lasers on the relic-creature.

The barrage didn’t even scratch it. Of course, Chris, Tsubasa, and Hibiki had to be in their X-Drives to even damage it, and even then they couldn’t stop it from regenerating without Durandal. Even the Shenshoujing in its latest configuration didn’t reach that level of firepower. But then the point wasn’t for Miku to beat it, was it?

The Dragon’s head swung around to face her again. Miku recalled that the original thing had a great cathedral-esque structure where Finé was fused with and controlled the creature from, with armored flaps to protect her. Those flaps were kept closed on this simulated version, but the memory did make her wonder if there was a simulated Finé in there. She didn’t think about that for more than a moment though, as the fins towards the top of the Dragon’s neck unfolded and a barrage of smaller red beams shot out, curling towards the black-haired girl.

Miku twisted and swerved as best as she could, but the beams were relentless and curved right after her. In a matter of seconds they found her and she was consumed by an immense torrent of explosions.

“Miku!” Hibiki shouted, the sight of her girlfriend vanishing in fire and dust making her forget for a moment that it was all simulated. Of course, she was reminded a moment later when the words [MISSION FAILURE - Excess Damage Inflicted] flashed across one of the secondary screens and the simulation ended. The dust and smoke instantly vanished, replaced by the sanitized sim room, revealing the black haired girl still clad in the Shenshoujing’s flowing robe, appearing not to have even moved an inch since they started.

And more importantly, there was no sign of Amalgam-Cocoon’s protective field barrier.

Miku groaned and slouched to the floor despondently as she dispelled her armor. Disappointment welled up in her. The others had pretty much gotten this on the first try! So why couldn’t she manage it? She wanted to fight alongside Hibiki, to save people so she could make up for her mistake in trusting Doctor Ver. Amalgam was a part of the Symphogear that she wanted to master, so why wasn’t she able too...

Strong arms wrapped around Miku, bringing with them a familiar warmth and shaking her from her reverie as Hibiki, having run down out of the control room, hugged her girlfriend. Glancing over Hibiki’s shoulder, Miku could see the other adaptors, along with Elfnein and Fujitaka, filing into the room at a somewhat more sedate pace, although concern was also written on their features.

“Sorry.” Miku muttered. “I couldn’t do it.”

“No, you can.” Hibiki replied into Miku’s ear, patting her on the back comfortingly. “Just not this time. We’ll keep working on it.”

“In the interim,” Maria began, glancing over at Fujitaka as the two broke their hug. “Let’s try something more standard, as a warm-up.”

\----

“Is that so?” Tsubasa asked into the phone that evening.

“Yes.” The voice of Tony Glazer drifted back out. “I’m sorry, Ms. Kazanari. But given these ticket sales and how many sponsors have pulled out, we have no choice but to cancel the concert.”

Tsubasa’s grip on the receiver tightened, in contrast to her steady voice. “I understand.”

“If it’s any consolation, your record sales are up across the board.” The Metro Music head continued. “There should be no problem with future recordings.”

Yes, because why should the Horsemen try to attack her in the lower security events? Because they were less public? The Horsemen had shown no interest in publicity. They hadn’t made even a single statement since they leaked the adaptors’ identities, in spite of everything else that had transpired.

Still, it wouldn’t be fair to point that out to Tony Glazer. Even after Tsubasa’s identity was made public, the man had been nothing but professional and supportive of her. It wasn’t his fault that the public was now picking up on how most of her concerts turned out. “I’ll take that under advisement, Mr. Glazer. Is there anything else?”

“No. Not at the moment. I won’t keep you any longer.” There was a pause before the man finished. “Good luck, Ms. Kazanari.”

The dial tone which answered Tsubasa had an ominous finality to it. With a sigh, she placed her smartphone back on the table and turned her attention back to the laptop she had set up. Financial data for the Kazanari Foundation splayed across the screen and binders of additional records lay on either side of her. Try as she might, though, she couldn’t lose herself in it again.

Tsubasa raised her head as the door to her father's old home office - her own office now - slid open, and Maria leaned in. “Dinner’s ready, if you want to take a break?”

“That would probably be for the best.” The swordswoman said as she stood up. “I can’t seem to focus at the moment.”

“We managed to get through quite a bit this evening.” Maria nodded.

Tsubasa paused at the door as a thought occurred to her. “You didn’t cook, did you?”

Thankfully, Maria shook her head. “I asked the staff.”

“Of course.” Tsubasa murmured. She kept forgetting she had a home staff now. With Ogawa having departed as her manager, Tsubasa was left torn between trying to juggle her failing career as an idol, the demands of running the Kazanari Foundation, and her responsibilities to SONG. Given how difficult Tsubasa normally found remembering to clean, parts of her home had, as Maria put it, become a pigsty by the time she left for Panau. It had been Maria who, when visiting the house to review some records, noticed and immediately hired a staff.

Then the pinkette had to talk Tsubasa into keeping the staff onboard when she returned from Panau. It wasn’t out of any monetary objection: the staff’s salaries didn’t even make a dent in the money Tsubasa had stored away from her idol career and SONG salary, never mind the fortune she had inherited from the Foundation. Rather, Maria had to convince Tsubasa that she wasn’t wasting the staffers’ time by employing them or anything.

Maria glanced over her shoulder as they made their way to the dining area. “Who was that on the phone before I came in?”

“Tony Glazer.” Tsubasa said. “He told me my September concert had to be cancelled.”

Maria gave a bitter sigh, which drew a sympathetic look from Tsubasa. The bluenette knew the source of her friend’s discontent wasn’t just because of the blow Tsubasa’s career had taken. Though Maria’s standing in the public had improved since the bank bombing, her concert sales had cratered even worse then Tsubasa’s, and her record sales were only just now recovering.

And those were just the measurable changes. The two divas also couldn’t fail to notice the change in the attitudes toward them. Whereas before they would be identified as “idols” if recognized on the street, now they were “Symphogears”. The fan mail had also shifted, with a lot less praise of their singing talent and a lot more gushing about how they had saved the world, if not the writer or a friend. Sure, it was heartwarming in its own way, but the sudden shift was off-putting. It was as if all the hard work they both put into their idol careers had been for nothing.

And the hate mail… well, it wasn’t like they paid much attention to hate mail to begin with. At least the ‘creep mail’ had dropped off slightly. Both of them wondered if that might have to do with fear of retaliation. Did people really expect Maria or Tsubasa to crash into their home transformed to stab them or something just because they sent in some unflattering porn of them?

“Thank you, Maria, for all your help.” Tsubasa finally said as they reached the dining room door.

Maria stopped, her hand on the verge of opening the doorway and looked over at Tsubasa, tilting her head curiously. “What prompted this?”

Tsubasa shrugged. She wasn’t sure herself.

The two stepped into the small dining room to find one of the housekeepers just finishing up laying out the meal.

“Oh,” Tsubasa took a moment to recall the woman’s name. “Kondo, thank you.”

“It was no trouble at all, Ojou-sama.” The woman replied politely. Maria watched the exchange with slight amusement, glad that Tsubasa didn’t cringe at being called that any more. Then she glanced around the room and the amusement quickly morphed into confusion.

“I don’t recall requesting candles?” Maria noted, staring at the array of candles laid out on the dining table. A soothing piano melody drifted from a unobtrusively sited speaker set. “And why are the lights so low?”

“The butler is into zen arrangements and insisted they’d provide good feng-shui with the music and lighting.” Kondo answered, completely straight-faced. Internally, the housekeeper made a note to inform the butler that he’d have to study up on zen now. A cover story only fit if one could play the part.

“I… see?” Maria muttered as she and Tsubasa took their seats.

Tsubasa glanced skeptically at the bottle of red wine on the table. “This wine… Screaming Eagle Cabernet?” She looked back at Kondo. “Isn’t that the most expensive in the storage?”

“We figured that since _Ojou_-sama was having such a valued friend over for dinner, she would want her very best out.”

“I appreciate the thought, Kondo.” Tsubasa’s tone was thankful enough, but there was a slight reprimand too it. “But please consult with me next time before pulling something that costs over fifty-five million yen.”

“I understand, Ojou-sama.” The housekeeper said, with an apologetic bow. “Is there anything else we could get for you or for Maria-oujo-sama?” Maria quirked an eyebrow at that. She got the ‘Oujo-sama’ treatment as well?

“No, that will be enough for now. Thank you.” Tsubasa answered.

Kondo gave one last bow at the dismissal and withdrew from the room.

“You’re getting used to them.” Maria observed as she started cutting the fish. There was still something about this atmosphere that poked at her memory, but she set it aside for now. “Although I’m surprised your father never hired a staff.”

“I think it’s because grandfather had one.” Tsubasa answered. “Not doing the same thing would be his sort of subtle act of defiance.”

The conversation lapsed for awhile as they focused on enjoying the food and the atmosphere. Tsubasa eventually decided that the butler must be onto something. The candle arrangement, the low lighting, and the soft, soothing piano music were helping her relax. Although the swordswoman suspected she would have found it much more awkward if not for Maria’s presence.

The food tasted great, so much so that Tsubasa wondered if the chefs put some sort of extra effort into tonight’s meal. And the few sips of wine they had weren’t bad either.

“Tsubasa...” Maria said after they had both whittled the meal down to the last few bites, breaking the companionable silence. “I’m going to quit being an idol.”

Tsubasa placed her utensils down and stared at the pinkette. She wasn’t actually surprised, it was something they had been talking about on-and-off for awhile now. But to say it aloud… it was as if some threshold had been crossed.

“I see. That makes sense.” The bluenette finally replied. “I think… I think I will too.”

“You don’t have to do it just because I am. I know being an idol means even more to you then it does to me.” Maria said. “I just felt that with everything-”

“No, I understand, Maria.” Tsubasa interrupted. “We’ve discussed this innumerable times before. It just isn’t the same anymore, not with people seeing us as Symphogear adaptors first, singers second.” She sighed morosely, sitting back. “It certainly isn’t what I dreamed of.”

Silence lingered for a moment, the two young women contemplating the shared decision they had reached. But another thought occurred to Maria. “I wonder…”

“What?” Tsubasa asked, sitting up straighter.

“You know how Elfnein says we’re going to live forever now, right?”

“Immortality.” Tsubasa murmured before shaking her head. “I’m still having trouble wrapping my mind around that. But what of it?”

“Well, we’ll have all the time in the world.” Maria explained. “So who's to say the opportunity to try again in the future won’t arise? Maybe once everyone gets used to the idea of us as adaptors, they’ll start appreciating us as singers again.”

“You are making an awful lot of assumptions there,” Tsubasa pointed out. “Both regarding us and everyone else.”

“I’m sure as long as we’re all together, we’ll be fine.” Maria stated. “We just have to remain calm.”

“Calm.” Tsubasa repeated the words. She clutched at her arms. “I don’t know how well I’ll be able to manage that. Even leaving my idol career, running the Foundation requires so much work that I’m afraid I won’t be there if the rest of you need me-”

Now it was Maria’s turn to cut her off. “Isn’t that why you brought me in? So you don’t have to shoulder that responsibility by yourself? And I agreed to it because you don’t. You have me, you have the others. If you ever forget that you are not alone, I won’t hesitate to remind you.”

“You are always there to pull me back.” Tsubasa said, a fond smile dancing across her face.

“Well, part of that is stopping you from taking this too seriously.” Maria returned the smile. “If you do, you’re liable to snap eventually.”

The pinkette had intended the words to comfort Tsubasa, but instead the blue-haired girl lunged out of her seat to seize Maria’s hands. The retiring diva flinched at the sudden lunged, a shocked “Tsubasa?!” escaping from her lips.

“Please, don’t say that!” Tsubasa almost shouted, panic and fear written across her face. “That’s one of the things Kanade said before… just before…” She trailed off into a whisper and the embrace tightened. “I can’t lose anyone else. Not Tachibana, Kohinata, Akatsuki, Tsukuyomi, Ogawa, and most of all I can’t lose _you_. If you were… if you...”

She shuddered, taking a deep, choking breath. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. “W-who will pull me back?”

“It’s okay. You won’t lose me.” Maria answered. She gently rose to her feet, careful not to let go of Tsubasa’s hand. Moving around the table, she enfolded Tsubasa in a full embrace. “I’ll always be here. I get the impression that’s what Amou would have expected of me.”

Tsubasa didn’t answer immediately, she just leaned into the embrace and buried her head into the crook of Maria’s neck. She let Maria’s warmth flow into her, taking in her calming scent.

“Did I ever mention why I moved back here?” Tsubasa started at last, repositioning her head so it lay atop Maria’s chest.

Sensing that the bluenette didn’t want an audible response, Maria simply shook her head. Tsubasa clearly sensed the motion as she continued. “It was one of the properties I told uncle I didn’t want him to manage in my stead. I thought that I could still honor my father’s memory by living here while pursuing my dream. Just because I lived here wouldn’t mean the legacy of the household would pursue me.” Tsubasa paused and then chuckled darkly. “Plus, it wasn’t like it was my grandfather’s place.”

Maria could figure that Tsubasa would never want to set foot in Fudo’s old mansion, even if the place hadn’t been raised to the ground by Shem-Ha and a trunk of Yggdrasil. But she continued to remain silent, simply opting to rub Tsubasa’s back.

“And yet I was wrong. Father and uncle worked so hard to make sure the burden of being a Kazanari would not weigh me down… now they’re both dead, along with grandfather, and the household found me anyways.” Tsubasa bit her lip. “Jwa told me I’d wind up like grandfather.”

Maria couldn’t keep silent at that. She scoffed. “Ridiculous.”

“Is it?” Tsubasa asked. “We’re being hunted, Maria. For the Horsemen, we’re not just an obstacle or means to a goal. Our deaths are the goal. Maybe the Horsemen aren’t as individually powerful as the alchemists or Shem-Ha. But they are building a weapon to specifically kill us. Not just nullify an ability like the Philosopher’s Stone or grant overall combat ability like Solomon’s Cane. Whatever Sabin is, its purpose is to destroy us completely and utterly. I can’t help but worry about a worse scenario than them succeeding outright. What if they only succeed just enough? Grandfather wound up the way he did because he was all alone. If the Horsemen succeed in bringing you all down and just leave me-“

“Then we make sure that doesn’t happen.” Maria answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s like I said Tsubasa: you won’t lose us. We won’t let you be alone again. And thank you.”

Tsubasa blinked at that, raising her head to meet Maria’s eyes in confusion. Why was Maria thanking her?

And Maria answered. “For confiding in me. Even if I can’t fix your fears, I won’t let you face them alone.”

“Maria…” Tsubasa breathed.

Caught up in the moment and the atmosphere, their faces drifted closer and closer. Just a bit more and-

“Ojou-sama.” Kondo said as she slid open the door. “Is everything alright? It has been quite awhile and-oh.”

The housekeeper took in the scene. Maria and Tsubasa in a firm embrace, having just turned to look at the housekeeper in surprise from where their faces were just inches apart. Kondo swiftly drew the relevant conclusions.

She bowed deeply as she backed right out of the room. “My apologies, I should have knocked first.”

Closing the door, Kondo turned to go find the rest of the staff. She simply had to inform them of just how well the plan had worked!

\----

“Is Professor Makoto in?” Chris asked the receptionist.

Apparently, the receptionist hadn’t learned anything from the last time because her eyes remained fixated on the paperwork she was filling out. “He is, do you have an appointment?”

Chris felt a twitch of irritation. She was not playing this game again. “I’m pretty sure we did this song and dance last time.”

The receptionist glanced up at that with a frown but that melted away into recognition and surprise almost immediately. “Oh, I’m sorry ma’am. Of course you can go on in.”

Chris realized she didn’t mind the formal tone as much as the first time she had walked into Professor Makoto’s office. Was she getting used to people talking to her like that? Did she want to get used to it?

“Yes, yes.” Professor Makoto was on the phone as she stepped in. He glanced up at her entrance, and simply indicated she should go ahead and have a seat with a nod. “I should be able to get through most of the papers by the end of today. The rest will be done tomorrow.”

He paused to listen as Chris politely took her seat and waited.

“Of course. I’ll be sending them all at once. Yes? Thank you. Have a good day.” He placed the phone down before offering Chris a welcoming smile. “Yukine, welcome back to Japan. How was Panau?”

Chris scratched her head. “I was too busy to see much of it, honestly. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“Oh, no.” Professor Makoto waved his hand flippantly. “It’s just peer review material. Pretty routine this deep into the summer break. What can I help you with?”

Chris paused. She knew this would be the toughest part, trying to figure out how to broach the subject without actually saying what she was worried about. Sumphonia. She couldn’t just come out and tell the professor about it.

“I guess it’s about my powers.” She said.

“Your Symphogear?” Makoto asked, slightly confused. “While I have researched the Custodians in great lengths, the technological side of things is not my specialty.”

“No, no… it’s not about my powers directly. It’s more like…” Chris racked her mind for how she could say it. “People didn’t used to know we were Symphogear adaptors, right? Back then they just treated us, you know, normally. But now everyone knows. And they treat us differently now.” Chris paused, thinking about the Marines she helped in Panau, “Mostly out of respect…”

Her mind drifted back to the mission they undertook in Val Verde during the previous summer. She remembered the terror in the soldiers’ eyes when she or her friends disarmed them. At the time, it seemed more amusing to her than anything else. But as she considered that memory alongside the bloody scenes of Panau and innumerable simulations against the staples, she suddenly understood. She could have butchered those people as easily as she did the staples, and they knew it. At that moment, the Junta’s soldiers thought they would die. Realizing this, Chris said “... but I know some of them also do it out of fear.”

“Ah.” Makoto understood at that. “You don’t want to be feared.”

Chris thought of Voronin. “Well, not by anyone who doesn’t have it coming to them. But our PR guy says I’m currently the least popular Symphogear user… and the most feared. I don’t want that.”

Well, Yoshigara hadn’t so much told Chris as she had overhead him mentioning it to one of his subordinates while she was walking by in the cafeteria. He wasn’t even talking about Chris specifically, just running over the rankings in a business lunch. It made for a nice substitute in talking about her real worries, though.

“You are energetic.” Makoto said, although Chris could tell he was being diplomatic. “And people misinterpret that as threatening, particularly coming from someone with the sort of power you can wield. Even if that isn’t your intent.”

“Yeah, that’s a good chunk of it.” Chris nodded eagerly. “The other part of it is that, with everything and everyone around me changing so fast in response to this, I’m not sure how to stay grounded. It’s been almost three weeks now and I still feel like I have whiplash. And, well… I’m sure everyone saw how poorly I’ve been handling it on live television.”

“So,” Makoto leaned forward on his desk, his fingers interlaced to cover his mouth, and said. “You don’t want people to be afraid of you because of your power, and you don’t want to lose yourself despite all of the changes. That’s the gist?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“Well, I’d say you would do well to find something to focus on and stay grounded. That’ll kill two birds with one stone.” Makoto said. “I’m going to guess you’ve already gotten the basic stuff about leaning on friends and others in your lives as a constant.”

“If I have to hear one more ‘power of friendship’ speech from the du-erm, Tachibana, I think I might have to puke.” Chris said dryly. There was a moment’s pause, then they both laughed.

“Well, all things considered, it’s not bad advice. But there are other things besides friends you can lean on, like what you’re passionate about.” Makoto continued. “What are you studying, currently? What’s your major?”

“Political science, with a minor in music.”

“Interesting choices. But why though?”

“A while back, back when I was just about to graduate from high school, I asked someone close to me what he thought I should do.” A sad smile crossed Chris’ face as she remembered Commander Genjuro, her old man. “He said an adult should learn everything they need to know to pursue their dreams. So I figured that, since I want to be a member of SONG, I wanted to learn a bit about the world around me. I didn’t want powerful people controlling me because of my ignorance.”

“I see,” Professor Makoto said. “That’s why you chose political science. An understandable choice. But why music?”

Chris’ smile brightened. “I wanted to make the world a better place with my singing.”

“Aren’t you already doing that?” Makoto asked. “You sing to use your Symphogear and you use your Symphogear to make the world a better place.”

Chris chuckled slightly. “Well, yeah. But like my parents, I was also hoping to use song for things other than, ya know, powering an ancient power suit using mostly incomprehensible technology. Though, I won’t say I’m not open to non-musical alternatives.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Makoto said. “And don’t worry if you can’t find something right away. You are still young. You have a long life ahead of you and plenty of time to find something that fits. If you can find something with music along those lines, then that is just as well.”

_‘You have no idea.’_ Chris thought.

The professor looked thoughtful for a moment and said, “Chris, if I may, I’d like to go on a slight tangent, but I promise it’ll make sense at the end.” When he saw Chris nod in response, he looked up at the wall and said, “Chris, I’d like you to take a look at my wall.”

Chris turned to the right side of the office. She knew the wall was lined with various papers and pictures from her previous visits, but she hadn’t paid much attention to them at the time. Now that she had, she realized how much stuff was on the wall. At the very top was Professor Makoto’s diploma, a degree in microbiology.

“I am sixty-three years old, Chris.” Professor Makoto said as he looked at his wall. “I’ve been working in the sciences since I was your age. I’ve had this position at the university for longer than you’ve been alive. That’s a very long time. A lot of things have changed. And all the while, I still remained _me_. Though I have changed, it was a natural progression.”

“If I may, I’d like to get up and look at some of these.” Chris said.

“Be my guest,” Professor Makoto said in reply.

Chris got up and looked at the photos. One was a picture of much younger Professor Makoto surrounded by a bunch of other men and women wearing lab coats. Another was the professor, slightly older, posing for the camera in a ‘stereotypical’ science-y looking pose, as if he were studying something under a microscope. There were diplomas, letters of recommendation and congratulations. There was even a picture of what looked like a family, showing Professor Makoto, his presumed wife, and their teenage-looking daughter all smiling together. Chris was transfixed.

“I’m no philosopher,” Professor Makoto said. “But I believe that, given the full life I’ve lived, I think I understand what makes us human beings more than anything.”

“Oh?” Chris turned around from the wall. She definitely wanted to hear this, considering what… changes she was expecting.

“The first is striving. I believe the philosopher Schopenhauer put it best when he said ‘Man is never happy, but spends his whole life in striving after something which he thinks will make him so.’ We as humans are never content with our lot in life. There’s a sort of restlessness that keeps us going to the end. We only really rest when we’re dead.” Professor Makoto explained. He cleaned his glasses with his shirt as he continued. 

“Schopenhauer thought that this meant life was pointless, that we’re here for no purpose. I disagree with him on that, of course, but I believe he provided a key insight into human psychology, something that separates us from other living creatures. Sure, this means we might sometimes be unhappy, but happiness can be overrated. As long as you continue to strive for greatness, whether it's through your career or through your family, you are still human.”

Chris guess that made at least some sense. She didn’t find her own happiness by looking for that happiness, but by trying to be better when Hibiki and Miku gave her the opportunity. “And what’s the other thing that makes us human?”

“Obligation.” Professor Makoto said. “There is a sense of duty we feel towards our fellow men and towards the world itself that also compels us. Friends and family don’t just exist to help us out or comfort us. Human beings are ends in themselves, and we have a duty towards them. Especially towards those we love. Responsibility is what separates the men from beasts… or from gods.”

Chris’ breath caught for a second, but Professor Makoto continued, his face growing more intense. “Part of the reason the Custodians disgusted me was how much they resembled the gods of ancient mythology. Those gods would create things for their amusement or for some other selfish purpose and then toss them aside. They would claim to be justice so that they would avoid acting just. There’s nothing more inhuman than that.”

Then the older man looked a bit sheepish. “I apologize. I must have been talking your ear off, wasn’t I?”

“No, no.” Chris waved her hands in front of her and replied. “You’ve given me a lot to think about. So, what you’re saying is that, if I want to be me, I have to keep striving and uphold my responsibility to other people, because that’s what makes everyone who they are.” It made sense to her, but… “How will that make others less afraid of me?” 

Professor Makoto shook his head and said. “To be frank, Chris, you can’t really control other people. Even with your power, human beings have their own fears and prejudices, and you can’t change their hearts. You can only expect those who love you to care about your own personal happiness, and even then, they have their own problems. So if you are relying on strangers for happiness, for your own validation, you are going to be unhappy. But if you continue to strive for greatness and do good to others while focusing on the people who do love you, you will find yourself in a much better position to handle life’s twists and turns.” He then smiled. “I’m sure a talented young woman like yourself can do well if you continue with your studies.”

“Thanks.” Chris blushed at the compliment, turning to look back up at the wall to hide it. Striving and obligation, huh? Yeah. She knew what those things were. Even at her lowest points, when she felt she had nobody to lean on, those feelings had stayed with her.

“I guess…” Chris began but quickly trailed off, thinking some more. “Maybe I could aim for something in the diplomatic services.”

“The Foreign Ministry?” Makoto asked.

“Or the UN… well, the general assembly that is.” Chris elaborated. “Making the world a better place is going to need diplomacy as much as it needs music, right?”

Makoto nodded approvingly. “That’s true. I suppose you should know the value of getting people to talk to each other.”

“Thank you, sensei.” Chris said, her eye caught the clock. She shouldn’t hold the professor up. “Thanks for everything.”

Catching the farewell, Makoto gave her one last smile. “You’re welcome, Chris. And as always, if you want to talk…”

“Your door is open?”

Not faltering even a little bit, the professor just nodded. With that last exchange, Chris turned for the door and departed. Makoto’s smile fell off as Chris shut the door behind her. He let out a long sigh as he sat back down at his desk and turned back to the papers he had to review.

“Thank you.” He repeated softly, his voice considerably more sorrowful than before. “Whether sapien or sumphonia, I’m sure you’ll remain human to the end.”

\----

Makoto added his last few comments to the review before checking the time. He really should be heading home now. It was time to save the day’s work and close up for the night, but as he clicked open the start menu to select shutdown, the screen abruptly went black save for red words hovering in it’s center.

[15Z601 Connection Inbound - Stand By]

Professor Makoto’s heart stopped. An override? What could Professor-110 possibly want? But the familiar visage of the elderly professor did not appear. Instead, the words on the screen simply changed.

[15Z601 Link Established - Sound Only]

“Professor-1141.” A digitally altered voice said. This definitely was not Professor-110. The Pale Unit’s vice-director didn’t hide his face or voice from his subordinates. “We are disappointed in you. Did you really think we would not find out?”

The Professor grit his teeth together. “_You_ are disappointed in _me_? You _lied _to me! When I agreed to work with the Pale Unit, you told me it was to fight the Custodians. You didn’t tell me it would be to kill those girls. Not to mention all the other lives you’ve taken.”

“So _that’s _why you haven’t submitted any more reports since the leaks.” The voice said, unruffled. “You’ve seen the results of 13B545. They are becoming more like them. It’s unacceptable.”

“It’s just one step!” Professor Makoto snapped back. “Even fully actualized, they won’t even be a quarter of the way there. And they can’t even move to the next step without Divine Power! Where are they going to get _that_?”

But the voice was unmoved. “Even without full actualization, the changes are unacceptably close. Demi-gods are no better than actual gods. They will develop a superiority complex, and then, we’ll be right back to five thousand years ago: nothing but slaves.”

“You might have so little faith in them.” Makoto growled. “I don’t. I refuse to.”

“How much or how little faith you have is irrelevant. What is relevant is your private meetings with Sierra-3 Actual. Did you think you could keep them a secret?”

Makoto slammed his fist on his desk, shooting to his feet. “She has a name!”

“Do I sound like I care?” The electronic voice sneered. “From now on, you will work for the Fifth Seal. Your interim cell number is one-oh-nine, since that one has been freed up. The next time she visits, we _will _be contacting you. Learn everything you can about what SONG is planning to do, the state of the other Sierra-Golfs, and so-on.”

“And why should I do that?”

“My dear Professor.” The voice actually sounded amused at his defiance. “You already agreed to work for us. You’re in too deep. We can’t have you backing out on us altogether, now can we? Although given your failure to report in and your behavior in this meeting, I’m starting to get the impression you’re willing to act as a shield for the little godlings. So rather than describing the physical torment that will be inflicted upon you should you try to disobey us, I’ll ask you a question: how is your daughter doing these days?”

Makoto’s blood froze as a picture of his daughter, busy in her apartment kitchen, appeared on his computer screen. The photo had clearly been taken surreptitiously from the street.

The voice carried on. “I’m sure she was devastated by the loss of her daughter at the Zwei Wing concert. Word is she blames Sierra-1 for what happened, but largely, she tries to bury those thoughts. Losing one's family is so tragic, don’t you agree?”

“You bastard. You utter bastard! If you try to-!”

“_Try_ is not the operative word here.” Even through the digital distortion, there was palpable menace rolling off the voice. “If you don’t obey us, if you attempt to go to SONG, then consider this: She will suffer. Her husband will suffer. And we will make you watch.”

“How can you possibly claim to protect people from the Custodians?“

“Protecting people?” Now the voice sounded slightly incredulous. “You lack perspective, Professor. Humanity _must _be freed from the Custodians’ influence. In light of this, individual lives are unimportant. Without exception, the lives of every single person on the planet are expendable. Even the deaths of billions are a small price to pay if we can ensure a stable population is left over.”

Makoto stared in disbelief for the longest moment, trying to come to grips with the statement. There was only one thing he could say. “You’re insane. You’re all insane.”

“I can tell you don’t agree. Disappointing, but understandable. Nonetheless, the question remains: is your daughter fine how she is, or will we have to pay her a visit?”

Makoto tried to figure out how to answer but found he couldn’t. He owed so much to Chris and the other adaptors. They had saved the world from the Custodians and their ilk time and again. Being a sympathetic ear to Chris was the least could do to show his gratitude.

But he had already lost his granddaughter. Losing his remaining family… he couldn’t bear that.

“I take it from your silence that you are having trouble deciding, so I’ll give you some time to think.” The voice said. “You have until Sierra-3’s next visit to make that decision. I’ll hear from you then.”

The words [15Z601 Link Terminated] flashed across the screen for a moment and then the computer display was back to the desktop, leaving Professor Makoto alone with his regrets.

\----

**Next Chapter: **Edge of My Dreams

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got some questions from both my beta’s and a few other people I discussed this with about whether the Shenshoujing Faust Robe has an Amalgam. The big thing I’m focusing on here to justify it is this line from the associated keyword:  
“It comes from the structural similarities between the Symphogears and the Faust Robes that results in the mixing and fusion of their formation energies.”  
The key line, at least from my reading of the sentence, is that it is the combination of Symphogear and Faust Robe parts. Since the Shenshoujing in this fic has been rebuilt with Symphogear parts, that makes it capable of Amalgam. There’s some other stuff in there about the Philosopher’s Stone, but the wording doesn’t make it seem like it’s essential to Amalgam like the above line does. That’s the watsonian justification I’m running with. The doyalistic justification is that Amalgam is going to be pretty damn vital when it comes to helping the Gear’s counter a certain story element that has already been name dropped several times, and I can’t really leave Miku vulnerable on that account.


	19. Edge of My Dreams

Distortions  
Chapter 19:  
Edge of My Dreams

\----

“Nervous?” Hibiki asked her girlfriend as they sat in the back of the car on the way to the hospital.

“Yes.” Miku replied. “What if they blame me?”

Hibiki looked confused. “Why would they do that?”

“I was the one who set the helicopter down there.” Miku said, wringing her hands. “If I’d found another spot, nobody would have gotten hurt and-”

Hibiki placed her hand over Miku’s. “You couldn’t have known the Horsemen would be following you with ground forces. And when they showed up, you did your best to protect everyone. It’s the Horsemen’s fault, not yours.”

“But-”

“But nothing.” Hibiki quickly interrupted, leaning over to press her forehead against her girlfriend’s. “You already blame yourself for too many things that, as far as I’m concerned, aren’t your fault. I won’t let you or anyone else blame you for anything more.”

Miku sighed, permitting herself to be comforted. She pushed her head back against Hibiki’s, so that they were now both leaning against each other. The two closed their eyes to bask in the other’s presence.

The sound of a clicking camera abruptly caused them to snap their eyes open and jerk away from each other in surprise.

“Ah, sorry.” The cameraman in the front passenger’s seat said as he lowered his digital camera. It was the man Yoshigara had selected. The SONG PR director had been good on his promise for someone that was unobtrusive: Hibiki and Miku kept forgetting he was even there. “That was just too good a picture to resist.”

“Hey!” The agent in the driver's seat snapped, although he didn’t remove his eyes from the road. “Remember, any pictures taken have to be submitted to Director Yoshigara for release, including authorization from Commander Ogawa and-”

“I know, I know. I did read the agreement before signing.” The cameraman said, holding up his hands placatingly. “Besides, I don’t intend for that one to be published at all.” He looked over at Miku and Hibiki. “I was actually wondering if you two would like a copy. It’s a good picture, here.”

He flipped his digital camera around to show the back screen and offered it to the two. Leaning forward, Miku took it up and Hibiki leaned over to get a better view.

They both had to agree, it was a really good picture. Their summer SONG uniforms weren’t exactly made to be photogenic, but the way the passing sun fell across them at the moment of the shot captured the contentedness they had felt perfectly. The two glanced at each other, a silent conversation occurring in just one look.

“Sure.” Miku said, passing the camera back forward. “We’d like a copy.”

“Knew you’d like it.” He said as he took it back. “And hey, don’t forget about me when it comes time for the wedding. I’d be happy to be the photographer.”

The two blushed at that, although Hibiki also giggled in some embarrassment. “That might be a bit hard.” She scratched at the back of her head. “I’ve kinda already forgotten your name…?”

“Nah, I get that a lot.” The cameraman grinned. “Yoshiaki Kanemoto.”

“Kanemoto-san then.” Hibiki looked thoughtfully at the cameraman. “Hey, do you know our commander? Or our intelligence director?”

“I know _of _them,” Kanemoto replied. “But I haven’t met them. Why?”

—

“I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to see you two.” The nurse said as she escorted the two adaptors, a pair of bodyguards, and Kanemoto - in precisely that order - down the hospital hallway. “She’s a huge fan. She’s been talking about you two a lot.”

As they walked through the hospital towards the room, passing patients and staff would stop in surprise upon recognizing the two adaptors. Depending on how busy they were, they might just give a glance before resuming their duties, stare until the party passed out of sight, or anywhere in between.

“How is she doing?” Miku asked.

The nurse glanced over her shoulder with an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid I can’t give out too much information without her permission. Patient confidentiality. You’ll have to ask her.”

The nurse stopped in front of a room door. “Shiraishi-san, you have visitors.”

She turned so as to clear a path for the two, nodding to indicate they could come in. The bodyguards quietly took up a position next to the doorway as Hibiki and Miku entered. Waki Shiraishi was sitting upright in her bed, her left arm in a sling, a bandage across the right side of her abdomen, and a UtaZukin manga open in her lap. Her expression was one of curiosity but as the two adaptors stepped in it swiftly shifted to one of shock and surprise. “T-Tachibana-sama?! Kohinata-sama?!”

“I hope we aren’t disturbing you.” Miku said as she approached.

“No!” Waki answered quickly. “You could never be a disturbance. I owe you my life! If anything, I should apologize.”

“For what?” Hibiki asked, pulling up a pair of seats alongside the bed, one for her and one for Miku.

Waki looked down, her right hand fidgeting in her lap. “For having you two come all the way out here just to see me.”

“That’s silly.” Hibiki said. “We didn’t have to come out here. We came out here because we wanted too. Because we were worried about you.”

Waki looked up in surprise. “But why? Surely you have more important things to worry about then some schoolgirl?”

“Nothing is more important to us then helping other people.” Hibiki smiled comfortingly. “And if this visit helps you, Waki-chan, then it’s more important than anything.”

“Waki-chan?” Waki breathed, a blush spreading across her face at the familiar address.

“Yep! And you can call me Hibiki!” Hibiki’s grin grew wider. “‘Tachibana-sama’ makes me feel like an old lady.”

“Likewise you can call me Miku.”

“I… I understand, Tachi-erm, Hibiki-san and Miku-san.” Waki’s voice remained nervous. She was clearly uncomfortable with addressing the two on such familiar terms.

Hibiki glanced down at the manga in Waki’s lap. “Hey, what volume of UtaZukin is that?”

“Volume twenty-six.” Waki answered tepidly. “Are you a fan?”

“Kinda. I’ve only made it up to volume fourteen.” Hibiki answered. “Now, Chris-chan, on the other hand, she’s a _huge_ fan. I’m pretty sure she’s read the entire series. She gets all embarrassed if you press her about it though and starts saying things like,” Hibiki shifted her voice into her best imitation of Chris’s, which was frankly terrible. “The artwork is just really good, it’s not like I relate to the characters or anything!”

Miku merely smiled indulgently at her girlfriends antics, having heard this joke before. Waki, on the other hand, giggled quite loudly. “She sounds like such a tsundere.”

Hibiki froze, stunned realization passing across her face. “You’re exactly right, she is!” The Gungnir user whirled towards Miku. “Miku, how come I never realized this before?!”

“I thought you knew all along.” Miku answered with some surprise.

“I can’t believe it. All the jokes I could have made all this time! All the ways I could have teased her!” Hibiki threw her head back, gripping it theatrically. “Why?!”

At Hibiki’s lamentations, Waki laughed even harder, and Miku couldn’t help but join in a little. Quietly, Miku couldn’t help but marvel at her girlfriend’s ability to cheer others up. Sure, Miku hated when Hibiki attempted to put on this cheerful face for others to hide her pain. But times like these, when Hibiki sincerely wanted to share her happiness with everyone, made the Shenshoujing wielder fall in love all over again.

And it worked so well too. Looking at the laughing thirteen-year-old, Miku saw that Hibiki’s antics had put Waki at ease around them. Although there was something else about the way Waki looked up to Hibiki, something a little more than the usual awe and respect they got from bystanders who recognized them these days.

“How are you doing?” Miku asked as the younger girl’s laughter finally died down.

“I’m fine, Ko-uh, Miku!” Waki said as she turned to smile reassuringly at the Shenshoujing user. “They say if I do well in my physical therapy, I should be out in a few months.”

Unconsciously, Hibiki’s hand rose to where her scar lay. The memory of her own physical therapy drifted through her head. And Waki was about the same age, wasn’t she? Well, at least nobody had to die to save her life. And there wasn’t any chance of a relic consuming her. Ordinary bullets couldn’t do that.

“I remember my physical therapy.” Hibiki smile gained a touch of sadness. “It can be tough.”

Waki turned to face Hibiki in surprise. “Eh? Tach-Hibiki had to do physical therapy too?”

“Yep!” Hibiki said. “And what helped me get through it were some magic words my father taught me.”

“Really?” Waki was clearly hanging onto Hibiki’s every word. “What were they?”

Hibiki leaned in close to Waki and whispered as if revealing a great secret. “If things ever get tough, just tell yourself: _Heiki, Hecchara_. It’s fine, totally fine.”

“_Heiki Hecchara_.” Waki said to herself, as if casting a spell. “Mm, okay. I’ll remember it always, Ta-Hibiki!”

Miku raised a hand to stave off another giggle, yet she also couldn’t stave off a growing suspicion about the way Waki was behaving towards the Gungnir wielder. Maybe she should test things a bit. Leaning over, she kept her eyes on Waki as she wrapped her arms around Hibiki’s right arm.

Hibiki blinked, turning at the sudden contact. “Miku?”

Ignoring her girlfriend’s question, Miku said to Waki, “Hibiki loves to say it all the time, whenever anyone is feeling down.”

Waki’s reaction confirmed Miku’s suspicion. The girl deflated a bit as Miku’s intimate gesture reminded her of the two adaptors’ relationship. Miku felt a pang of guilt at that. She just wanted to confirm her suspicion, not make the girl depressed!

“Hey,” Miku pre-empted Hibiki’s own question by letting go of the Gungnir user’s arm and leaning forward a little. “You _really_ admire Hibiki, don’t you?”

Hibiki’s mouth fell open in surprise while Waki looked away and blushed. “Yes. I know it’s just a childish crush. I know Hibiki-san is really devoted to you, Miku-san. And really, I’m happy for you two. I really am!.”

A moment’s silence followed, causing Waki to momentarily panic and add, “I mean, I’m not the only one with a crush on Hibiki-san. There are a lot of girls at my school who look up to her. And even one or two who admire you, Miku-san!”

The idea of otherwise complete strangers crushing on them was more than enough to cause both adaptors to blush. But Miku pushed through that embarrassment. “It’s nothing to be ashamed about.” She said, “I had a bit of a crush myself on a celebrity when I was just a little younger than you.”

Hibiki laughed. “I remember that! I guess I should be a little jealous of Kanade now, shouldn’t I?”

“Hopefully not,” Miku looked over at the Gungnir user. “I like to think it’s because she had some of the traits that made me fall for you.”

Turning back to Waki, Miku said. “But don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll find the person you _really_ want to be with in the future. So don’t give up, right?”

“That’s right!” Hibiki added. “I’m sure you’ll make some guy or girl really happy in the future Waki-chan. So, while I’m sorry I can’t return your feelings, I’ll still root for you!” She grinned and held up a fist.

Waki looked between the two in surprise, then gave a relieved smile. “Thank you.” She reached out and held Hibiki’s hand. “You two are more than just celebrities to me, though. You’re my heroes.”

“Ehhehe, I don’t know about that.” Hibiki scratched her head uncertainly with her free hand. “I’m not really a hero.”

“What?” Waki stared at Hibiki in shock. “How are you not a hero?” Miku also turned to start at her girlfriend in surprise.

“I’m not good enough to be a hero.” Hibiki said. “There’s so many people I’ve failed to save…”

“But what about all the people you _did _save?” Miku asked.

“Eh?” Hibiki blinked a few times at that question.

“Yeah!” Waki said, her grip on Hibiki’s hand tightening. “What about the chunk of the moon you helped destroy before it could crash to Earth? What about the Treasury of Babylon and the Nephilim? What about the Château and Carol? The Illuminati and the Divine Power? Shem-Ha and her attempt to take over humanity? All those times, you didn’t fail and you managed to save everyone!”

“I-” Hibiki began, but she never managed to get a word in. Waki was going full steam by now, seemingly having forgotten who she was talking too.

“And in all the videos I saw of you online, you never flinched or hesitated. Even when you were beaten down, you got right back up and kept fighting for the sake of others, whether it be your friends or your girlfriend or even everyone on earth! You are so brave, noble, and cool. When I was shot back at school and was bleeding out, I felt like I was circling a giant abyss. I felt so tired that I didn’t think I could stop myself from falling in. But you called out to me, told me that I couldn’t give up on living! And that gave me the strength to stop myself from falling in. You didn’t even know me, yet you did everything you could to keep me going. Who else does that but a hero?!” Waki finally stopped, somewhat out of breath after that non-stop spiel.

Hibiki stared at the younger girl in astonishment, her eyes as wide as saucers. The barrage of unvarnished admiration left her speechless. Waki abruptly recalled who precisely she was speaking too and sheepishly let go of Hibiki’s hand. “Umm, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Miku said, smiling kindly. “You’re right, after all.”

Hibiki turned her astonished expression to her girlfriend. “Miku?”

“You know how I call you my sun, Hibiki?” Miku continued. “I always feel as if you shine brightest when helping others. Your willingness to reach out and try to understand. Your kindness and ability to forgive. Your desire to do the right thing. All these great qualities brought us and our friends together. They also make you a hero. I know you never wanted to be a hero, Hibiki, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t one.”

Hibiki’s face shifted into contemplation as she considered both Waki and Miku’s words.

The door to the room suddenly opened, with everyone inside turning to see the Nurse enter. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting anything. But it’s time for Shiraishi’s physical check-ups.”

“I suppose we should get going then.” Miku replied. “Is there anything we could do for you real fast before we go?”

“Oh, umm… if it’s alright, could I get your autographs?” Waki asked, her voice growing somewhat nervous.

“Autographs? That’s new.” Hibiki said, a bright smile crossing her face. “But sure!”

Miku frowned as she snapped open her purse to check the contents. “I’m afraid we didn’t bring any spare paper.”

The Nurse quickly crossed over to a nearby desk, opened a drawer, and brought out a notebook of scrap paper along with some pens. Tearing a page out, she turned and offered them to the two adaptors along with the clipboard.

Miku signed first, writing ‘_Get well soon, Waki -Miku Kohinata_’ in her neat handwriting while Hibiki more hastily scrawled out ‘_Remember: Heiki Hecchara! -Hibiki Tachibana_’ in her rougher, messier style. The Gungnir user passed the sheet to Waki, who took it and stared at it as if it were a holy treasure.

“Thank you.” She said, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. “I’m so glad you came.”

“And I’m glad we got to know you!” Hibiki answered.

“Don’t be afraid to write.” Miku called back as the two adaptors filed past the nurse. “We won’t hesitate to reply.”

“I won’t!” Waki shouted as a farewell.

The door shut behind them as they stepped back out into the hallway. The two bodyguards silently rose to their own feet but respectfully waited in silence as the two adaptors took a moment to contemplate the meeting they just had. Then Miku indicated they were ready to go and the group began to make their way back through the hospital, where the car was parked.

“You know Miku...” Hibiki began, causing her girlfriend to glance over curiously. “Back when our identities were secret, I couldn’t really see any of the people we saved when we went out to save them from Noise or other disasters.” Hibiki looked back over her shoulder, towards Waki’s hospital room. “I could only help them by saving them, but I couldn’t try to cheer them up or comfort them. Doing that for Waki was… nice.”

“Is that something you want to try doing now?” Miku asked. “I mean, once the Horsemen are dealt with, we’ll probably be back on disaster rotation duty and with our identities now public...” She trailed off, her point made.

Hibiki’s brow furrowed as she thought about it for a few moments. ”Maybe? I don’t know.”

Kanemoto’s voice broke them out of their thoughts. “Right, I got some good shots. Hope I wasn’t too much of a disturbance? I made sure the camera shutters were on silent.”

Miku recovered first and answered honestly. “We kinda forgot you were there.” She paused. “Again.”

“Yeah,” Kanemoto repeated nonchalantly. “That happens a lot.”

“No, seriously.” Hibiki said. “Are you sure you don’t know our commander?”

\----

Fuji-Q Highland was the quintessential Japanese amusement park. Operating since 1968 and located at the northern base of Mount Fuji, it boasted some of the best reviews out of any theme park in the area. Kirika and Shirabe figured it was the perfect place to take Elfnein for her first amusement park trip. And for the most part, Elfnein agreed.

She was having the time of her life. Sure, she was too small to ride the best coasters, and the spinning teacup attraction may have left her arms sore and her head spinning. But the drop tower had taken her breath away, both figuratively and literally. And Kirika couldn’t help but laugh at the alchemist’s amazed face when she first saw bumper cars. The Igalima wielder would later come to regret that when Elfnein proved just how aggressive she became behind the wheels. The Zababa duo shuddered at the thought of what would happen if she ever got a driver’s license.

But the current amusement park attraction left her rather unimpressed.

“Now this is just unhygienic.” The alchemist said, inspecting the bloodstains on the floor as they climbed the staircase of the Haunted Hospital. “And in a hospital, no less! What happens if the patients catch a bloodborne disease?”

“I don’t think that’s the point, Elfnein.” Shirabe calmly stated. “It’s supposed to be scary.”

“Dangerous, is what it is!” Elfnein huffed, her sense of professionalism thoroughly offended. “Haunted or not, a medical facility should have standards.”

“M-m-maybe those standards should include lighting.” One could practically hear Kirika’s teeth chatter. The frightened blonde huddled as close to her girlfriend as she could manage, unconsciously pressing her chest against Shirabe’s arm. Though she would never admit it, Shirabe currently considered the Haunted Hospital her favorite attraction.

The trio turned into a hallway, a maze of grimy hallways with low flickering lights shadows jerked and swam from The noise of what could either be moans of the damned or distant wind echoed off the walls. The chatter of Kirika’s teeth intensified at that and she buried her head in Shirabe’s neck with a whimper.

“Look at this mess. How are the surgical tools supposed to be kept clean with all of this dirt?” Elfnein shook her head in disbelief, crossing her arms in clear disapproval. “And how drafty is this place? Insects could get in here.”

Shirabe silently rolled her eyes. The trio made their way through the hallway, past mutilated mannequins that seemed to leer out at them and jars of containing organ look-alikes. Elfnein paused to inspect one containing what appeared to Shirabe was a convincing replica of a human heart.

“Look at this!” Elfnein pointed out. “What kind of heart is this supposed to be? The arterial connections are all in the wrong place, the ventricles and atriums are improperly shaped, they don’t have the aorta, and the vena cava is on the wrong side!”

Okay, maybe not that convincing.

There was a thunderous WHAM from the other end of the hallway followed by a loud moan and the scraping of a heavy boot across the floor. A distant and looming figure lurched across the intersection, what appeared to be a meat cleaver clutched in its grip. That was the last straw for Kirika. With a shriek of “Dess!”, the Igalima wielder detached herself from Shirabe and booked it for one of the green doors marked ‘Retire’.

“Ah! Kirika, wait!” Elfnein called after the blonde. “The attendants said we shouldn’t split up!”

“We should go after her.” Shirabe sighed. It didn’t seem like Elfnein was taking to the Haunted Hospital that much anyways. They followed Kirika through the door, into an adjoining hallway that would lead directly to the exit. They found Kirika there, panting from exertion and clutching her heart.

“Kiri-chan, are you okay?” Shirabe asked, approaching her girlfriend with some worry and a little bit of guilt. She knew that Kirika was afraid of ghosts and such, they had gone through haunted houses before, but she didn’t expect her to react this badly. The professional care put into the Haunted Hospital was a step above most haunted houses. Still, she knew that Kirika’s emotional state was still somewhat fragile, so she shouldn’t have pushed it. 

Thankfully, Kirka wasn’t in a low point at the moment. “Yeah.” She breathed, calming down. “It was just… really surprising is all!”

“Maybe we should try something else?” Elfnein said.

“Yeah!” Kirika quickly latched onto the suggestion. “I mean, it didn’t seem to be doing much for you, Elfnein.”

“Really? I think it was quite instructive on how not to run a medical facility.” Elfnein replied as the group began to make their way down the hallway towards the exit. They passed a few attendees taking breaks in the hallway who, at most, gave them momentary glances. As they passed particularly close to one man, he suddenly sneezed.

“Eek!” Elfnein shrieked and jumped almost a solid foot in the air.

The Zababa pair stared at Elfnein in disbelief.

—

Once out of the haunted hospital, they took a momentary break to grab some cotton candy. That wasn’t a new experience for Elfnein exactly, but she couldn’t say no to cotton candy.

“I’m amazed at how effective your disguises are.” Elfnein said as she took a bite out of the cone.

“Well, our super spy glasses were already pretty effective.” Kirika grinned, adjusting the recently shaded glasses. “Now that they’ve been upgraded into _ultra_ spy glasses and combined with a cap, we’re practically invisible!”

Shirabe nodded in full agreement, but added, “Tsubasa-senpai said that famous people usually don’t need to do much more than this. There aren’t many images of us in our casual clothes, and most people don’t expect to run into famous people on the street. So long as they aren’t actively looking and we don’t draw attention to ourselves, this should be enough.”

Although in truth the trio - or at least Elfnein - were pretty sure that a few park employees they interacted with had recognized them, but hadn’t said anything so as not to kick up a fuss.

“So, Elfnein, what do you want to do next?” Kirika chirped as they finished their cotton candy, figuring they had enough of a break for the moment.

“Let’s see…” Elfnein stood up and took out the brochure they had picked up when entering the park. She studied it for several moments before glancing up and pointing. “They’re showing a 4-D movie at that location!”

Shirabe and Kirika turned to look over at the theater she was pointing at.

“Cutie Healer: The Simulated Motion Picture Experience.” Shirabe read the title. “Isn’t that one of UtaZukin’s competing franchises?”

Kirika on the other hand seemed to be more onboard. “I don’t think UtaZukin’s done a 4-D movie yet though!” She grabbed both Shirabe and Elfnein’s hands. “Let’s go!”

—

Onscreen, two magical girls stood amidst the fiery rubble of the villains’ fortress, which was modeled loosely after a palace straight out _Arabian Nights_. The hot desert wind blew, heated further by eerie, gold-colored fires. The sand obfuscated most of the surrounding area, but two figures were clearly visible in the center: a golden goddess of vengeance, Solar Healer, and her smaller, silvery-haired friend, Silver Healer. The latter stood between Solar Healer and the monstrous villains who had just escaped.

“Out of the way, Tsukiko.” Solar Healer commanded, although her voice was considerably softer then how she had addressed the monsters earlier.

“No, Kin!” Silver Healer shouted back, obstinately standing in Divine Healer’s path, her hands thrown to either side. “This isn’t like you!”

On the other side of the screen, the trio marveled at the special effects. But there was some confusion as to what exactly was going on.

“I don’t get it.” Kirika muttered, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb other movie goers. “Has she gone evil? Why does she still want to capture the bad guy then?”

“I think the memory of her friend’s death which triggered this power up caused her to lose perspective.” Shirabe replied.

As the girls talked, the movie kept playing. “It’s perfectly like me!” Solar Healer said angrily. “I can’t let them get away! I can’t let what happened to Chiyo happen again!”

“But then Minori will die!” Silver Healer retorted, pointing towards the burning pile of rubble behind Solar Healer. “I can’t save her alone. Do you think Chiyo would want that?”

Solar Healer looked taken aback, glancing back at the eldritch fire she had caused in her pursuit of the escaping villain. The flames danced off the screen, accompanied by rushes of heat for the audience.

“I… she…” Solar Healer stuttered, “No, she wouldn’t.” The echo in her voice vanished as she spoke and the glow in her eyes faded. Solar Healer vanished, and in her place stood her lesser form, Golden Healer.

“Oh, nice talk down.” Kirika muttered. “It feels a bit too easy though.”

—

“Come on, Tsukiko! I want to hang out.” Kin said exasperatedly. “You said you didn’t even need to do this.”

Tsukiko cast a haggard gaze back at Kin. “I have to. The Tea Club has far too much riding on this.”

“But it can wait!” Kin answered, throwing her hands up. “You said it yourself that it isn’t due until next week.”

Tsukiko paused, looking up from the work on her classroom desk. “But the sooner I clear this up, the less work there will-”

“You won’t finish this at all if you collapse.” Kin pointed out. “And the only way you can avoid collapsing is by taking a break!”

“I-” Tsukiko hesitated before relenting with a sigh. “I guess you're right. Thank you, Kin.”

“Is there a point to this scene?” Kirika muttered nonplussed.

“I think it shows how burdened Tsukiko is by all the responsibility that has been thrust upon her.” Shirabe said. “And that Kin is one of the few people who can convince her to take it easy before she breaks. Also shipping fuel, probably.”

—

The black Minotaur peered out of the dust cloud, looming menacingly over the girls. With a triumphant roar, he threw his fist at the girls. The fist and flying rocks seemed to pop out of the screen, and the wind that emanated from the blow blasted the audience.

But still, the two girls, one clad in gold, the other clad in silver, struggled to get up.

“Why do you stand up?” The monster asked in his booming voice. “Why don’t you give up?”

“Because you’ll destroy the world and kill everyone if you win, duh!” Kirika said softly. “Why do bad guys always talk like that?”

Shirabe shrugged. “I dunno. But look at how those two girls are holding hands with longing looks in their eyes. Do you think it’s the animators leading on the shippers, or a real portrayal of a romance between friends?”

Meanwhile, the two magical girls on screen stood up to face the villain. “We’ll never give up. Never.” Silver Healer said, her face full of defiance.

“Even if you knock us down again, we’ll just stand right back up!” Golden Healer shouted.

“You can’t win against me! Even if you stand up, it’s meaningless!” The black minotaur shouted, flexing his muscles even more.

Kirika smirked. “Classic villain overconfidence going to backfire in three… two… one…” 

“You're wrong! If everyone gives it their all, you can keep going even when it’s painful!” Golden Healer shouted in response.

Silver Healer tightened her grip on her partner’s hand. “Even though our strength as individuals is small, it becomes great if we join hands. And that’s why…” 

“We won’t ever give up!” The girls said together. 

The magical girls’ bodies glowed and rose up into the air. Immediately, spirits of light floated around the movie theater to and fro, forming into silhouettes of humanlike figures. These figures flew around and off the screen before flowing into the girls and empowering them further.

“Wow, that’s so pretty!” Kirika said. “But this seems somewhat familiar.”

“I think it’s how we finish off the world-ending villains ourselves, Kiri-chan.” Shirabe said matter-of-factly. “I think the message is simple but realistic: strength in cooperation.”

Kirika considered it for a moment. “I think we tend to move a lot more when actually fighting though.”

“O light of the spirits! O spark of life!” Cried Silver Healer.

“Lead these two hearts to the path of hope!” Shouted Golden Healer.

The magical girls tightened their grip on each others’ hands while aiming their other hands at the black minotaur and said the name of the attack. “Cutie Healer Swirling Miracle Blast!” Two beams of bright orange and white light burst from their hands and came together into one big beam of destruction.

“No!” The minotaur screamed as he was overwhelmed by the beam. “What is this perfect combo?! Gah!” Then the bad guy disintegrated.

“Well, that was sort of anti-climactic. He reveals his true form only to get beaten so easily? Why can’t villains in real life be like that? ” Kirika said, a bit disappointed.

But Shirabe shook her head. “No, there’s still time left in the movie. They may have beaten the villain, but they still have to save the world. Remember the bad guys’ contingency plan from earlier?”

“Oh yeah!” Kirika said. As if on cue, the time wormhole the minotaur villain opened up threatened to swallow the girls in. Kirika and Shirabe could feel the suction of the wormhole thanks to the wind that suddenly blew at their backs.

Eventually, the Cutie Healers were able to close the time wormhole and save the future from destruction. Or something. Then they visited the grave of a deceased friend who had come back earlier in the movie as a super-zombie, which probably would have made more sense if they had seen the original TV production. As fun as it was, Kirika honestly couldn’t make heads or tails of the plot of this movie. The music and action were amazing, but it was also pretty cheesy.

Shirabe, meanwhile, was curious what Elfnein thought. “Hey, what did you think?” She asked the diminutive alchemist next to her as the credits began to roll and everyone began to get up to leave.

“Honestly, it was pretty entertaining for a children’s movie. Your nonstop commentary sold it though.” Elfnein smiled. “It was like something out of Mystery Science Theater 3000.”

Shirabe looked at Elfnein quizzically. Elfnein chuckled and said. “Right, right, guess you had to have been there. I only know of the show from Carol’s memories. You see, the premise of it was…”

As the three girls continued down the path towards the next attraction, chatting and laughing, none of them noticed the black suited figure peering at them from amidst the crowd.

—

Elfnein hummed pleasantly as she filled the cups with each of the three’s favorite drinks. They were having lunch at the moment, and she had volunteered to get their refills. Amusement parks were so much fun! Childish, maybe, but it wasn’t like she had many memories of doing childish things. Having been created only a few years ago, the bulk of Elfnein’s memories were either of her time working for SONG, her time working for Carol, or some leftover memories she inherited from Carol. Hardly any of them contained such simple, childish experiences, and not a single one was of an amusement park! She would have to repay Kirika and Shirabe for accompanying her on this trip. But how?

While she was brainstorming what a good “thank you” gift for her friends would look like, Elfnein turned, tray of drinks in hand, and immediately ran face first into someone’s leg. She stumbled back slightly, barely keeping her balance.

“I’m sorry!” She said quickly as she looked up. “I didn’t mean-”

The apology died on her lips as the sunglass hidden visage of the Pale Man stared back down at her. He looked exactly as the girls described: gaunt and sickly in a manner completely at odds with his laser-like focus and rigid bearing.

“You are-” Elfnein choked, fear gripping at her heart. She was acutely aware that she was standing within arms reach of what was hands down the biggest mystery in the current incident. And without Carol, she was helpless. She wanted to shout, to scream for Kirika and Shirabe, but she couldn’t force the yell through her throat.

Elfnein flinched as the Pale Man abruptly extended his hand, but her fear melted away into confusion as he opened it to reveal a piece of a bow, colored white with blue stripes. Elfnein recognized it instantly: it was a part of the bow Garie wore on her back. She glanced between it and the Pale Man several times before hesitantly reaching out to take the proffered item.

She touched the bow _and screamed as the creature dropped Hiroyuki. It licked its lips and purred, “Delicious.”_

_“Don’t hurt me!” Asako screamed, scrambling back._

_The creature turned at that in a sudden, jerky manner. “Oh come on dearie, I won’t bite,” it said. It slowly walked towards Asako and into the dim light. Its blue dress fluttered, and its doll-like eyes looked at her like a hungry predator. “I’ll just give you a little kiss, and it’ll all be over.”_

_Asako turned around and ran as fast as she could down the corridors. Where was everyone? Yes, it was nighttime, but this was Tokyo, for God’s sake! Was there nobody around to save her from _that monster_?_

_There! At the end of the alley! Lights! People! Safety! Asako sprinted full tilt towards the alley entrance… and then sprawled forward as she tripped over something. She pushed herself up and glanced over at the object only to be met with a pair of dead eyes. A man’s corpse lay in the alley, a pale and shrivelled lump drained of any energy. His face was locked in a voiceless scream._

_“Aaaww,” The voice of the thing whispered in her ear. “So close, and yet so far.”_

_The hand that clasped against the back of Asako’s were small and dainty, yet they had no trouble yanking her around with their strength. A pair of cold, hard lips clasped against hers as Asako found herself staring into a pair of inhuman eyes. They were as blue and filled with life as the depths of the ocean… and just as cold._

_Asako could feel her life, her memories, everything that made her _her_ being drained by the creature. Weakly, she tried to resist, to push away from the creature, but the pain of what was being done to her caused her muscles to slack. Her skin withered and grayed, and her thoughts began to turn into mush._

_She didn’t want to die. She screamed in her head for everyone she knew to come and save her. Someone! Anyone! Hiroyuki… papa… mama…!_

“Miss? Miss? Are you alright?!”

Elfnein abruptly came too as she realized that someone was crouching down next to her. Her face felt damp. The drinks she had been carrying were spilled all over the floor. The piece of Garie’s bow lay in the pooling mix of soda, thoroughly drenched. Wildly, Elfnein glanced around, looking for the Pale Man only to find him gone. The only people in sight were park goers who had turned to look at the strange crying girl, one of whom was crouched down next to her.

“I-I’m fine.” Elfnein hastily stuttered. Hesitantly she reached out and snatched up the bow, shoving it into a pocket. Wiping the tears off her face, Elfnein staggered to her feet.

The man who had called out to her rose as well, offering a steadying hand that she accepted. “Where are your parents? Are you lost?”

Elfnein shook her head quickly, releasing the man’s hand before bending over to collect the dropped cups. “I’m here with friends and… and I guess I tripped. It isn’t too bad now. I should make their way back to them.”

The man seemed unconvinced. “Do you need any help?”

“N-no. I’m good now! Thank you for the offer though!” Elfnein cradled the wet cups in her hand and took off, back to Kirika and Shirabe, her thoughts racing.

The alchemist had forgotten the more sinister side of the Autoscorers' nature. The bulk of her interactions with them, both during her extended stay working for Carol and later when the four had fought to protect her in the Château against Noble Red, had been positive. Though she knew intellectually that they powered themselves by stealing memories, a process lethal to most people, she had never directly witnessed the process. As it was, the brutality of it combined with Garie’s sadism made her want to vomit out of fear and disgust.

And no way that had been done without Carol’s orders. Garie had definitely been gathering memories to help power the others. Carol was directly responsible for those deaths. Her other half was… 

Elfnein shook her head and collected herself. No, she couldn’t let herself get distracted by that. Whatever bad things Carol had done didn’t matter now. Carol was dead now. Elfnein had to focus on what just transpired _now_. The analytical part of her mind kicked into high gear in order to dissect the experience.

Elfnein knew from her studies that her vision of Garie wasn’t something mystical, as if from a spell. Those “Road to Damascus”-type visions were far more dreamlike and airy, and there was always a clear transition between it and reality that wasn’t present in this case. And it wasn’t an implanted memory either. The vision was far too sharp and clear, and a memory implantation wouldn’t explain the sensory experience. If she had to describe it, it was like watching a 4-D movie from a first person point-of-view, albeit one that allowed you to feel the emotions of the point-of-view character. To feel like you _were _the point-of-view character. The only option she could think of was a record of some kind, a recording inserted into her head and played like a computer would play a video.

All in all, it seemed like the “brain record” hypothesis was the only possible explanation. But a recording required a recorder. And there was only one possible thing that could have recorded such a scene.

Elfnein turned a corner and saw Kirika and Shirabe where she had left them waiting for their refills. The girls turned towards the alchemist, their welcoming smiles giving away to worry and alarm as they took in her appearance.

“Elfnein?” Kirika said. “Are you okay?! Your clothes are-”

“Kirika, Shirabe!” Elfnein cut her off breathlessly. “I encountered the Pale Man. And I think he has...” The alchemist paused, catching her breath as she glanced around for evesdroppers. Leaning in, she lowered her voice to a minute whisper. “I think he has the record of _Sefer Hachaim_.”

\----

“It’s unusual to see you without Bikky these days, Hina.” Shiori said to Miku when the two met up. Miku couldn’t help but agree: after their confession, the two of them had been practically attached at the hip. The longest periods of time they had spent apart been either during classes or on missions, the latter representing the greater time spans and distances.

It was as if the separation forced upon them by Noble Red, Fudo, and Shem-Ha had incurred a massive interest in the time they needed to spend together once they were reunited. Not to mention how Hibiki’s constant presence had helped Miku overcome the remaining psychological trauma of Shem-Ha’s possession.

In fact, Miku realized this meet-up with Shiori was probably the longest period of time outside of the two special exceptions of missions and school she had been apart from her bright sun. Not that she was unduly discomforted by that. After all, they were still in the same city and could quickly rush to each others aid should the need arise. As much as the two cared for each other, it wasn’t as if they couldn’t stand to be apart for a few hours.

But Miku didn’t voice any of this aloud. Instead, she said, “I can’t help but notice how readily you’ve adopted Kuriyo’s nicknames for us.“

Shiori giggled, “Well, we were getting in the habit of calling you two those as it was.” Her smile became slightly more somber. “And with Andou gone, it’s up to me and Yumi to carry on the tradition, I guess. That disguise is lighter than what I imagined you would need, by the way.”

“You’d be surprised at how effective it is.” Miku adjusted the cap that partially hid her hair, especially her typical bow. “I’ll even be able to take off the sunglasses once we take a seat. Although we should aim for a booth that isn’t by any window.”

“Well, that should not be a problem.” Shiori said as they stepped into the diner. The lunch hour rush was dying down, so the two had little problem finding an interior booth.

“So, what did you need to see me for?” Shiori asked as Miku took her sunglasses off. “I doubt it’s any sort of advice about Bikky.”

Miku shook her head. “Actually… it’s about Yumi.”

“Yumi?” Shiori said, her voice filled with confusion and a little bit of concern. The blonde’s mind raced: obviously it wasn’t something Miku could talk to Yumi about directly or she would have gone straight to the otaku. If it had been something wrong with her, on the other hand, Shiori was pretty sure she would have noticed before Miku. “What about her?”

“I will be honest with you, Shiori. This meeting wasn’t my idea.” Miku said. “I was asked to look into this by SONG’s intelligence director when I mentioned it to him.”

A lot of alarms started ringing in Shiori’s head. “Is she in danger? Your new enemy… the Four Horsemen, are they targeting her for some reason?”

“No…” Miku paused and thought about it. “Maybe? Let me start from the beginning, but please try to remain calm.”

That only intensified Shiori’s worry but she forced herself to nod.

“A few days ago, Hibiki and I encountered Yumi while we were finishing our own warm-up runs.” Miku explained. “During the conversation, she displayed knowledge about the Four Horsemen’s organizational structure that is currently classified and which we doubt anyone at SONG informed her of.”

“What?” Again the confusion returned. “What does that mean?”

“We were hoping you would have a better idea.” Miku answered. “Has she been behaving out of the ordinary at all?”

“Well,” Shiori said. “She claims to have finished her summer homework already, and she’s started a daily exercise routine. She’s never done any of that before.”

“Nothing else?”

“Nothing else I can think of.” Shiori said.

“So she hasn’t responded to any mysterious phone calls or disappeared for awhile?”

“What?” Shiori exclaimed. “No! Why would she do any of that?”

“We’re worried…” Miku paused, hesitating. The suggestion was absolutely ridiculous yet what other explanations were there? “The Director is worried that Yumi might be a Horsemen spy or something like that.”

Miku suspected that if she had told the blonde she was in fact a purple, wish-granting elephant from the magical land of Elephantia, the stare Shiori gave her wouldn’t even have been half as filled with disbelief. The stunned silence between the two lasted long enough that it was interrupted by the waitress looking for their orders. Miku made a show of looking at the menu while giving her order so as to minimize the possibility of the waitress recognizing her without appearing rude.

“Hina, that’s absurd.” Shiori said after the waitress left. She was actually a little angry that Miku would ever believe Yumi would betray them. “I mean… this is _Yumi _we’re talking about.”

Miku tried to mollify her friend. “We’re worried it might not be intentional on her part. Some kind of brainwashing or mind control device, perhaps.”

Shiori opened her mouth to object on the basis that such things weren’t possible. Then she clicked her mouth shut again as she recalled that yes, such things were quite possible. Miku would know that better than anyone else. But still…

“If she was brainwashed or mind controlled or whatever, when would it have happened?” Shiori pointed out. “Either Kuriyo or I have always been with her and she’s been at home the few times we haven’t been. That’s where she is right now, in fact.”

Miku sighed. “I know, but if she isn’t somehow being influenced by them, then where did she learn that information?”

The conversation lapsed at that, neither of them having a satisfactory answer. Finally, Shiori spoke up again. “I’ll try to keep an eye out for any odd behavior, maybe obliquely ask her about it. But… Hina, I don’t _want _to believe it.”

“I know.” Miku said softly. “If I’m not prying, how long have you… well, been in love with her?”

Shiori blushed slightly, her attention fixating on her glass. “Since before our first year school fair at Lydian. I guess… I was really captivated by the enthusiasm she put into preparing for our part.”

“That long?” Miku said in surprise. “And you haven’t told her?”

“I don’t even know if she feels the same way.” The blonde answered. “This isn’t like with you and Bikky, where everyone could see it. Have you seen any indication from her she feels that way back?”

Miku frowned as she went over the interactions she could recall between Shiori and Yumi over the past two years in her head. She noted several times where Shiori had shown signs of her crush on the otaku, but not once did anything occur to her that would indicate Yumi viewed Shiori as anything more than a friend.

“Are you afraid of rejection?” Miku asked. That was different from the problem she had with Hibiki. Miku had never been afraid of Hibiki rejecting her. It was trying to figure out how to communicate her feelings which had caught the Shenshoujing wielder out for far too long.

Shiori nodded, still not meeting Miku’s eyes. “If she doesn’t feel the same way back, then that could be the end of our friendship. I… I don’t want that.”

Miku paused for a moment as she considered her reply. Maybe it wasn’t the same problem she had faced with Hibiki, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t try to apply what she had learned. “But do you want to get together with her?”

Shiori just nodded, her blush intensifying.

“Then you’ll have to take the risk.” Miku said. “I also tried just sitting around and hoping something would happen. But believe me, it doesn’t work. If she doesn’t take the first step, then you have to.” Miku then smiled. “That said, you’re probably right that it wouldn’t be a good idea to just jump in. I think there are some things you could do to test the waters. The first step would be…”

\----

“Not going to eat in, Lieutenant?” Voronin asked, peering out across the yard from his perch next to the front door.

“Nah.” Samantha said as she put on her shoes in the safehouse’s foyer. “I can’t cook for shit, and Gowon’s on some kinda self-imposed fast.”

“I see.” The Russian shifted his rifle a little to prevent it from catching the sun. “With your permission ma’am, I’d like to know something.”

“Shoot.”

“They say you managed to kill some of the original Noise. The ones from the Treasury of Babylon.”

“Yeah. I’m guessing you want to know how?” Samantha stood up as she finished putting on her shoes, grabbing a hat off a rack to hide her hair. It was a rule they had to go out in some kind of disguise now. No point in repeating Caprice’s mistake. “Did you ever face the Noise, Sargeant?”

Voronin shook his head. “Never was that unlucky. Only ever had to deal with Alca-Noise…”

Samantha paused, considering how to put it. “You know that thing the Noise do when they want to travel a long distance quickly, so they stretch themselves out?”

“Yeah, I heard about that.” Voronin said, making a micro adjustment on his scope.

“Well when they do it, they have to phase-in with our reality.”

“So you hit ‘em then.” The Russian nodded. “How many were you facing?”

“About a couple dozen, the first time around.”

“Wait, seriously?” Now Voronin looked over skeptically. “You managed to hit dozens of Noise in the second or two they do that elongated-speedy thing? I couldn’t do that, and I _know _I’m a better shot than you are, Lieutenant.”

“Nah, I only got like a quarter of them with my guns. As for the rest… well, it turns out the Noise aren’t smart enough not to try and do it through trip-wires. Exploited the hell out of that the second time.” Samantha swung the door open. “Keep an eye out, Sargeant.”

“Yes ma’am, enjoy your meal.” Voronin bid his superior farewell as she stepped out into Tokyo.

Making her way down to the nearest train station, Samantha carefully navigated her way around any street camera that she couldn’t keep from seeing her face. Her destination required some public transport use, but Red Unit had long taken care of setting up the intricate false accounts necessary for the White Noise members to make use of Japanese transit.

With her light blue jacket, green undershirt, skintight jeans, and brimmed straw hat, Samantha looked like your stereotypical American tourist. Any Japanese delinquent dumb enough to think she was easy meat, however, would be in for a very rude surprise. And not just because of the machine pistol hidden in her jacket or the knives up her sleeves. She wasn’t looking for any trouble though. It wouldn’t do to try and draw the authorities attention on to her.

She had to switch lines several times before she could make the rest of the way on foot. The locale was rather out of the way, down a sidestreet and well away from the crowds. She paused to read the restaurant's name, a smile flickering across her face. It was just as Alex described it. A quaint little shop with a sliding window door for the front.

Door slid open rather noisily, but Samantha supposed that was to ensure the owner knew she had visitors. Sure enough, the elderly black-haired proprietor turned from chopping vegetables to greet her with a big smile. “Welcome!”

“Hello.” Samantha said, stepping into the shop. To her American eyes, the restaurant seemed way too small, but she was getting used to the Japanese preference for these smaller establishments.

“Ah, a foreigner.” The woman noted, shutting off the water and grabbing a towel to dry her hands. “Are you from Europe or America?”

“America.” Samantha answered, returning the smile as she stepped around to the front of the booth and took her seat. “In fact, my brother was stationed here a few times while in the navy. He recommended this place to me once.”

“My, is that so?” The woman leaned forward slightly in interest. “What was your brother’s name?”

“Alexander.”

“Oh! I remember Alex.” Her eyes practically lit up in recognition at the name. “You must be his sister. He mentioned you once. It’s been a long time since I saw him, though. Did he leave the navy?”

The lieutenant couldn’t stop her smile faltering. “In a manner of speaking.”

“Oh? Oh!” The woman’s eyes widened in realization, before becoming downcast. “I’m sorry. It must be hard.”

The American shook her head. “I’ve… found ways to cope. Coming here is part of that.” Samantha took a moment to reflect on the multiple meanings she had packed into that statement. But she forced her mind elsewhere, deciding to remember the good times for once. “He loved to try and find places like these, you see. Said it was part of the adventure.”

“I believe he told me that as well.” The woman finished drying her hands, hanging the towel on the rack. “I hope I can live up to his expectations…?”

Samantha caught the questioning inflection. “Samantha. Samantha Acampora.”

“Arisu Orikasa.” The owner returned. “So, Acampora-san, what will it be?”

Samantha paused, studying the menu. “Well, what would you recommend?”

—

“Okonomiyaki, okonomiyaki!” Hibiki sing-songed as she walked down the familiar street to Flower. She could practically smell the food already.

It wasn’t the first time she had returned to the shop since the leaks, although it was the first time she had done so without Miku. Fortunately, the shop owner affectionately nicknamed ‘Obaachan’ might as well have been unaffected by the news. As she had subsequently confided to the two adaptors, she suspected Hibiki was a Symphogear adaptor ever since Hibiki saved her from that one octopus Noise. Turns out, she hadn’t been as unconscious as Hibiki and Miku thought she was, and when the Japanese government announced the existence of the Symphogear, she had managed to put two and two together.

Then she had insisted that, now that her suspicions were confirmed, they should be allowed to eat at her place for free as thanks for helping her out. The two girls had demurred and it took some hefty negotiations from both parties before a compromise was reached and they merely received a healthy permanent discount.

Recalling the day Miku and her had saved the Flower owner led Hibiki to ruminate a little bit more. If it hadn’t been for Hibiki, Obaachan, her food, and her kindness would have been lost to the world. The Gungnir user was unused to thinking in such selfish terms, but the contextualization made her recall Waki’s words at the hospital the previous day.

Maybe the girl had a point, maybe she was a hero. But Hibiki didn’t think it mattered. Hibiki didn’t help people because she wanted to be a hero. She helped people because people were worth helping. If that just so happened to also make her a hero, then so what? Symphogear or not, human or Sumphonia, that was who she was and nothing would take that from her.

As she approached Flower, Hibiki realized that the imagined smell of okonomiyaki wasn’t quite as imaginary as she first thought. Obaachan must have cooked recently for customers. With any luck, she will have cooked a little extra, and Hibiki could get those as appetizers. The chestnut haired girl paused by Flower’s entrance, closing her eyes as she inhaled the scent and removed her sunglasses.

“This is so good! I haven’t had much okonomiyaki, but even I can tell this is great.” A different voice, a woman’s with a bit of a foreign accent floated back out. Ah, so obaachan definitely had visitors. Although a tourist? Hibiki hesitated, wondering if her appearance would cause too much of a fuss for Obaachan.

“You flatter me. It isn’t that good.” Flower’s proprietor replied modestly. Hibiki’s stomach grumbled, making up her mind for her. Maybe she’d just be able to get away with just signing an autograph or something.

“No way.” The other woman said as Hibiki reached for the door. “This is so good, I bet you could turn the entire world into okonomiyaki, and people would just thank you because of how good it is.”

Obaachan simply chuckled in response. Hibiki opened her eyes along with the door, a wide smile on her face in anticipation of the delicious okonomiyaki waiting for her. A smile that vanished as she spotted Obaachan and the other woman. A very familiar woman sitting right across the booth, in the midst of lifting a fork from the partially eaten plate of okonomiyaki to her mouth.

“Oh, Hibiki. Welcome back! Miku isn’t with you today?” Obaachan smiled broadly as she looked over at the chestnut haired girl. The brunette lady at the booth stiffened at the name and turned her head.

Time seemed to freeze as Samantha and Hibiki locked eyes with each other.

\----

**Next Chapter: **Memories and Smiles

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my beta The Name of Love for writing the bulk of the movie finale for Cutie Healer, AKA: “Totally Not Precure”, as well as continuing to be an awesome beta. FWIW: Silver Healer’s equivalent to Solar Healer would be called Lunar Healer.
> 
> Samantha’s joke towards Orikasa/Obaachan/The Flower Lady is a reference to a joke someone on a Symphogear discord made about the flower lady, that she is secretly Custodian planning to turn everyone in the world into Okonomiyaki End of Evangelion-style. The same person also pointed me towards a comic on pixiv where Tony Glazer is literally Iron Man, which suffers from the grievous crime of having not been translated into English yet.


	20. Memories and Smiles

Distortions  
Chapter 20:  
Memories and Smiles

\----

In an instant, both fighters had the lay of the land and each other. Right at this moment, Samantha held the advantage. She was stronger, taller, and had more than eight years of combat experience over Hibiki. If Samantha struck fast enough, she could potentially maim or kill Hibiki with her first blow. But if Hibiki could sing faster, then the advantage would shift. Samantha didn’t have her nanosuit and only possessed a few emergency weapons hidden on her person. Against a transformed Hibiki, Samantha’s only realistic choice would be to call for back-up and try to escape.

As both of them made the same assessment in the second after they spotted each other, they also wondered the same thing: ‘_Why wasn’t she trying anything?_’

“Hibiki-san?” Orikasa’s voice jerked both of them out of sizing each other up. “Is everything alright?”

“Uh, yes, Obaachan!” Hibiki threw on a hasty smile. “I was just surprised to see you had a guest!”

“Oh, yes. Hibiki, this is Samantha Acampora. She’s family to an old friend of mine.” Orikasa turned back to Samantha. “Acampora-san, this is Hibiki Tachibana. I’m sure you have heard of her?”

“I have. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Samantha said, her voice one of disinterested politeness but Hibiki could detect the cold undercurrent.

“Yours too.” Hibiki forced out, clasping her hands behind her back. “I… um, I hope I’m not too much of a disturbance.”

Out of the corner of her eye, the Gungnir user spotted a man from her security team in plain clothes hurriedly moving towards her. His pistol was drawn, but he stopped as she frantically signalled him off. Hibiki was under no illusions who would win in a fight between regular SONG agents and the White Noise Squad’s leader, and she wasn’t going to let anyone uselessly commit _de-facto_ suicide for her sake. Plus, Samantha had ample time to start a fight by this point, but she hadn’t. If she refrained from starting a fight, then Hibiki would reciprocate. Such a fight could put Obaachan at risk.

“Not at all!” Orikasa said pleasantly, “It’s always a pleasure to have you around. But Miku isn’t with you today?”

At Miku’s name, Samantha’s grip on her fork tightened. Hibiki kept a wary eye on the brunette as she replied to Orikasa. “She had to see someone else today.” She said. “It’s a shame she couldn’t be here.” Hibiki nervously laughed.

“Yes,” Samantha said with a subtle hint of sarcasm. “What a shame. I’d have _loved _to meet her.”

Orikasa looked back and forth between her two customers. She could tell something was up between the two of them. Perhaps Samantha was nervous about meeting a Symphogear user in such a small place? Regardless, it was none of her business. “Hibiki, what would you like to order?”

Hibiki sat down at a table right next to Samantha’s and took her order. The older woman stared at Hibiki. On some level, she envied the girl’s ability to maintain her fake smile and shallow pleasantries. It took all the self-control Samantha had to resist strangling the girl in front of her. If Sierra-Seven had been there… 

“So,” the Symphogear user began as Orikasa stepped over to the kitchen. “Why are you here?”

“Goddamnit, are we really doing this?” Samantha groaned as she put her hand on her forehead. “Can’t I just eat in peace?”

Hibiki smiled in a friendly sort of way. “Well, we didn’t _really_ get to talk last time,” she said as she looked to make sure Obaachan wasn’t listening in on the two of them. “And I don’t think we’ll be able to talk it out next time.”

Samantha stared at Hibiki as if she’d grown a second head. Then she remembered the profile Red Unit had made on Sierra-Three-Actual and realized just how true it was. Stopping Hibiki Tachibana from attempting to talk her to death was a waste of time and energy. Unless Samantha was willing to shoot her, but the American _really _didn’t want to start a fight here if she could avoid it. Out of memory of her brother, if nothing else. “What is there to discuss? You already know why I want to kill you and your little friends.” Samantha took a bite of her okonomiyaki and chewed on it sullenly.

“Well,” Hibiki said diplomatically. “If you don’t want to talk, then there’s nothing stopping you from leaving.”

Samantha looked at her half-eaten meal and sighed. “I suppose I could stay a while. My food would get cold by the time I got away, and eating while walking would be unpleasant.” Then she gave a grim smile. “But if you try anything, I’ll be forced to break your neck and take the old lady in the other room hostage. I’m sure you understand.”

But Hibiki wasn’t intimidated by Samantha’s threat. “Actually, I don’t think I understand. Why are you here?”

“If by ‘here’ you mean Japan, we’ve already established that. Kill you and your friends. Destroy SONG. Destroy the relics. If you mean this restaurant…“ Samantha glanced away for a moment, debating precisely how much to say. “I heard this was a good restaurant. From _my brother_.” She spat the words accusingly. “That’s all.” She punctuated the statement with another bite.

“Do you blame Miku for your brother’s death? Or are you just using her as a proxy to get back at someone you can’t get back at?” Hibiki said carefully.

“Of course she’s responsible,” Samantha said. “Even if she wasn’t controlling her body when she pulled the trigger, she accepted Dr. Ver’s offer when the consequences of trusting him were fully predictable. She’s just as responsible as he was.”

Hibiki’s fist tightened and her smile became more strained. “Miku was his prisoner. You don’t think she wasn’t coerced into doing those things? That she had a choice?”

“Yes. You always have a choice. What, would _you_ let yourself be coerced into hurting innocent people?” Samantha took another bite of her food, leaning back and closing her eyes.

Hibiki looked away. There was something wrong with Samantha’s logic. She knew it in her gut! But there was nothing she could think of in response to that. This was a lot more difficult than she thought.

“Now, admittedly,” Samantha continued. “Sierra-Seven isn’t the only one I have a grudge against. The American government lied to me about what happened during the Frontier Incident. I spent nearly two years thinking my brother had been killed by Noise.” The ex-soldier growled. “I served my country for _years_. Poured my blood and sweat out trying to defend American interests and doing a damn good job at it. All that loyalty, all that hard work, and they repaid me by _lying to my goddamn face_. Not just me either… Emily and her poor mother were also given the little cover story too. Every single one of those bastards will rot in hell when I’m done with them.” She gave a bitter laugh.

The conversation lapsed for a moment, but only because Hibiki was pondering how to respond. One part of her, the one coached by experience, told her to pursue a line of questioning that might reveal more about the Four Horsemen's plans. She discarded it. Hibiki knew her strengths and subtlety was not one of them. Samantha would figure out she was being pumped for info and would probably clam up.

So she decided to go the unsubtle route instead.

“Why did you decide on joining the Horsemen though? You must know they aren’t good people.”

Samantha growled and said in a low voice, “I told you already, I don’t give a damn about your moralizing-”

But the Gungnir user interrupted her opponent. “Tagawa Maiko. Yamashiro Isoko. Yoneno Dori. Shimomura Fukami. Hosoo Kurumi. Tsuchida Rei. Shimizu Yukiko. Yoshihara Seki. Tatsuda Tae. Nine girls, each with bright futures. I’m sure they were all wonderful girls. I’ll never get to know because they’re all dead because of the Horsemen.” Hibiki shuddered a bit and then continued. “A girl named Waki Shiraishi was also shot, but she survived because me and Miku were there to prevent the members of the Four Horsemen, the same group you are part of, from doing more. How many more people like you will you create with that attack? What kind of world does that create?”

Samantha looked like someone had punched her in the gut for a moment before her eyes returned to their passive gaze. She played around with the last of her okonomiyaki and said, “You can’t build a world where nobody hurts each other, whether through force or kindness or whatever. There will always be people in need of getting a bullet through the head. And those people will have family and friends who will try to avenge them, so then you gotta kill them too. That’s just the nature of the beast.”

“Then all of those girls just deserved to die? Because it’s convenient for you?!” Hibiki’s voice hitched slightly in anger. She took a deep breath and said, “Samantha… I just don’t understand. When I think about what I’d do if my friends or family were hurt - something I’ve been thinking about since my parents were almost kidnapped - I just can’t see myself hurting innocent people and brushing it aside like that. I don’t think I could live with myself if that were the case. I mean, they were only a bit younger than Emily.”

Samantha glared at Hibiki accusingly, but said nothing. Then her expression softened. “How is she? Emily, I mean.” The American now sounded a bit subdued.

“She’s doing well physically, but she’s now amnesic. She went into some kind of coma, and when she came to, she didn’t even remember her own name.”

“Dammit,” Samantha groaned. She actually looked downcast at that. “She was never supposed to be involved in this. If I ever find the fucker who put her up to it…”

Hibiki head tilted. “So it wasn’t you then? Then how did she know about the Horsemen?”

“I don’t know.” Samantha said. “Hell, when I found out she was arrested, I asked the Lamb if some other part of the organization put her up to it. He didn’t know a damn thing either. Red Unit’s records indicate nobody in the organization ever made contact with her.”

“We thought someone in the Four Horsemen put her under some kind of mind control. I mean, she didn’t have any kind of direct feedback system, but…”

Samantha bitterly chuckled a little bit. “That’d make things so much easier, wouldn’t it? To have the Four Horsemen be the bad guys behind everything. Even if…”

“If what?”

Samantha shook her head. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but perhaps letting you know might get you to stop yammering on in the middle of battle. In truth, I sometimes feel like I sold my soul to the Devil for what I have today.” Her face suddenly became downcast, and her hand massaged her temples. “I just… don’t feel the same as I used to, ever since I was shown the truth. Sometimes, I wake up and feel this strange dissonance, like there’s something wrong with me. If someone told me a year ago that I’d end up working for a group like the Four Horsemen, I’d have punched ‘em in the jaw. But it felt so natural to join them afterwards.”

Hibiki scratched her head. “I’m sorry, what are you talking about?”

Samantha just smiled, her earlier expression gone. “Nothing. I guess there’s a bit of irony here. You killed God, so I guess that means Satan gets his turn to screw us over.” 

It was at this moment that Orikasa came in, a steaming bowl of rice and meat in hand. “Here you go, Hibiki. Your favorite.”

“I guess I’ll be going now.” Samantha tossed her now-empty plate in the trash and fished through her wallet for her money.

“Wait,” Hibiki pleaded. “Please, you don’t have to do this, Samantha. You don’t have to continue down this path!”

“Hmph. You think this story will end with my redemption? You need to understand that some people are beyond saving. If you don’t reconcile yourself to that, you’ll be hurt in the end.”

With those words, Samantha stood up and tossed her money on the table. “I’ve said my piece, Sierra-Two. The next time we see each other, I’m not going to jaw with you so don’t even bother trying.” She started towards the door but paused as she stepped past Hibiki to whisper in her ear a warning. “If any of your SONG goons try to follow me, it’s their funeral.”

Then she continued towards the door, calling out to Orikasa in a vastly more polite tone. “Thanks for the food, it was great. I’m sorry that I’ll be too busy to come back.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Orikasa replied, looking quizzically between Samantha and Hibiki.

The American opened the door and stepped out into the street. She made a point of sending a glare at each of Hibiki’s SONG shadows who thought they had hid themselves adequately, making sure they knew that she knew they were there. Then she turned and swiftly departed, her guard up if any of the agents tried to follow her. None of them dared.

“What were you two talking about, Hibiki? It sounded serious.”

“I’ll tell you later, Obaachan.” The Gungnir girl said quietly. She then sat and stared at the rice bowl on the table, her mind whirling.

\----

“How’s the jet lag?” Tomosato asked, handing her commander a coffee.

“Feels like Thursday.” Shinji Ogawa said, not sounding as tired as he looked.

“But it’s Monday?” Fujitaka replied, not getting it.

“Then it must be pretty bad.” Commander Ogawa took a deep pull from the cup before looking up and noticing the confused stares directed at him. “American joke I heard. I didn’t get it. Was hoping someone here would.”

“And you say my sense of humor is awful.” Souji Ogawa muttered.

“I get it.” Elfnein said quickly. “It’s an observation on how travelling long distances in relatively short time spans can disorient your body’s internal clock.”

Everyone reflected on it for a moment before quietly nodding. Ogawa had called for a meeting with the senior bridge crew in his own private office rather than on the bridge. The other four members of the bridge crew figured that meant that what he learned in New York must have been big, but some aspects of it had to be kept from the rest of SONG.

Shinji smiled tiredly, “Well, the meaning of obscure American travel jokes aside, any development with the Horsemen?”

But Souji shook his head. “They’ve seriously gone to ground after the raids we carried out. We thought we identified several facilities based on the same methods we used to find the Panau facility, but they were abandoned when investigators arrived. Likely before we even identified them. They clearly deduced the criteria which we were using to find these installations.” The elder Ogawa frowned. “I don’t like it, they’ve been quiet for too long. A few more anti-Relic raids in Europe and North Africa just after we hit that facility outside Tokyo, then nothing. Tachibana’s encounter with Acampora is the only sign we’ve seen from them. Likely, that means they are preparing something.”

“I agree.” Shinji muttered, frowning down at his cup. “Keep searching, but scale back efforts on finding the bases. Start focusing on where they might strike next and how. Now then, what I learned in New York: the UN has decided to expand the roster of Symphogear adaptors.”

“What?!” Elfnein, Fujitaka, and Tomosato all echoed at the same time.

Souji, on the other hand, wasn’t surprised. “Makes sense, given the progress on the Sakurai Theory over the last year. _If _one didn’t know about Sumphonia.”

Tomosato grimaced. “And we can’t defy the order without revealing Sumphonia and what it means. And who knows how the Security Council might react to that.”

A moments silence passed as they all considered the catch-22.

“Is it really an issue?” Fujitaka asked. “I mean… we’re already trusting that the girls can handle Sumphonia.”

“That’s because you _can _trust those girls.” Souji pointed out. “You know them, what they’ve done, and how they’ve grown so you can be reasonably sure they can handle the consequences, the power, and the responsibility. That they won’t become Shem-Ha. But any new adaptor is an unknown. Every time a candidate becomes a new adaptor, we will basically be playing Russian Roulette on whether they can handle that power.”

Shinji glanced over at his elder brother. “I can’t help but notice how you said ‘you know them’ rather than ‘we know them’.”

Souji shrugged. “Well, I won’t confess I do _know _them like you four do. All I’ve really done is read their profiles and I know that profiles aren’t all there is to someone's character. But I do trust you, little brother.”

Shinji chuckled a little, disguising his discomfort at the familial address with his usual polite enigmatic smile. Only Souji could see through that.

“Well, building a new Symphogear from scratch is vastly more effort then modifying or repairing one. It should take considerable time, we can try to figure things out in the interim.” Elfnein said. “Where are they going to source the relic fragments?”

“The Chinese already have one lined up.” Shinji answered. “As for the rest, they’ll be starting dredging efforts on the Undersea Dragon Palace in several weeks.”

“Ah, like we did with the Fool’s Stone.” Fujitaka said.

“Yes.” Shinji answered, emptying his coffee cup before setting it on his desk. “The last bit of news is that the timing and place of Tsubasa and Chris’s medal award ceremony has been decided.”

“Oh, yes, the letters actually arrived before you did.” Tomosato noted. “I’ve already forwarded the information to the girls. I’m sure they’ll all want to attend.” She paused. “I thought General Shaw put them in for the Bronze Star; did something change?”

“Apparently, the American military bureaucracy felt as if the Bronze Star was an inadequate recognition and that a member of our Symphogear unit counts as ‘military enough’ to be awarded the Silver Star.” Shinji clarified. “Frankly, the technicalities of the award do not concern me too much. I doubt the girls will put much stock in them either. But if it helps foster cooperation from the Americans, we can’t exactly say no. If the details of Symphonia do get out, the best safeguard against a backlash is for everyone to have as positive a view of the girls as possible.”

The room lapsed into silence for several seconds, everyone's commentary exhausted. Shinji glanced up at the clock. “Thank you, everyone. Elfnein, could you remain behind so we can discuss the issue of assembling new Symphogears?”

At the obvious dismissal, the Fujitaka, and Souji all nodded and climbed to their feet, filing out. Tomosato only paused to collect Shinji’s emptied coffee cup before likewise departing. Shinji waited calmly until the door closed behind them before looking squarely at Elfnein. “I heard about your encounter with the Pale Male and how you think he has _Sefer Hachaim_. We’ll get to that later, but first I want to figure out how we might be able to delay the construction of new Gears for as long as possible.”

The Alchemist nodded. “I can think of a few things…”

\----

Elfnein wrinkled her brow in concentration as she glanced between the Apegear blueprints and _Advanced Computer Engineering For Experts_. For all the depth and breadth of her knowledge in more esoteric sciences, it had come as something of an embarrassment for her to realize how short her knowledge in computer engineering was. Particularly since the Apegear’s design was clearly so dependent on so many computer and electrical components. It was extremely different from working on a Symphogear’s, which relied more on a mix of metallurgy, chemical engineering, and of course heretical technology.

So she did what any respectable knowledge junky did: she hit the books. The base library had all the books she needed. The basics she had torn through in less than half the morning. But the more advanced stuff inevitably took longer. The biggest obstacle was more relating the knowledge she had gathered to the remaining holes in the blueprints.

At least it was progressing faster than her work on the Anti-LiNKER/LiNKER antagonist. There the problem wasn’t so much lack of knowledge as how goddamn difficult it was to block the relevant synapses that LiNKER and Anti-LiNKER used without affecting other critical aspects of the body. But easily her biggest breakthrough had been with the mysterious Outer Physics signature Emily’s brief possession had left behind.

She had returned to the location in the Amusement Park she had encountered the Pale Man with some SONG agents, sensor gear, and permission to investigate. The results were faint and rapidly fading, but identical to those she had detected on the submarine, both during Emily’s possession and earlier. That sealed it for her: there was some kind of link between those Outer Physic Signatures, _Sefer Hachaim_, and the Pale Man.

But that wasn’t her focus right now. Elfnein had specifically scheduled the time she devoted into each project with the same thoroughness she had attended to every other project and activity she undertook, all the way back to her days at the Château…

With Carol… who had approved of what Garie…

Elfnein shook her head, driving the thoughts out of her mind. She couldn’t let that distract her right now.

“You are...?” A vaguely familiar voice suddenly speaking up behind her caused Elfnein to yelp and lunge forward over the Apegear prints. Military base or not, she didn’t know whether the person speaking was cleared to see those.

She glanced over her shoulder as she frantically rolled up blueprints. Then she relaxed slightly.

“Elfnein, right?” Akira Tachibana smiled down at the Alchemist.

“Yes, that’s me. I remember you.” Elfnein said. “You’re Hibiki’s father, right?”

She had forgotten that the Tachibana and Kohinata parents were living on base for now. Security arrangements had been made so that they could still commute to work, but returning to their homes was regarded as too big a risk factor. Elfnein even remembered the parents being invited to see Miku and Hibiki fight with the other adaptors in a simulation, albeit they practiced against Noise instead of any of the Horsemen’s creations.

Miku’s father in particular had been changed by it. As the training mission progressed, Elfnein had watched Matsura’s face transition from awe at the Symphogears performance to pride in his daughter. How else could he feel witnessing his child able to stand against such monstrosities and alongside similar such warriors in the name of protecting the innocent?

“Yes. I guess we were never properly introduced back then. Akira Tachibana.” Hibiki’s father grinned. “It’s a great relief to see you so well.”

“Thank you.” Elfnein returned the smile. “But what are you doing in the base library? Looking for some reading material?”

“Well, I was actually looking for that book.” Akira said, indicating _Advanced Computer Engineering For Experts_. “But I’m sure if you are reading it, it’s more important.”

Elfnein glanced between the book and Akira in confusion. “This book? Why?”

“Well, mainly to brush up. Keep my knowledge sharp in case I can find employment. I was an engineer at a computer research lab, you know?”

Elfnein stared, her mouth falling open in shock. Hibiki’s father had been a computer engineer? She had no idea.

An idea struck Elfnein. It was a risk. It was technically a violation of the secrecy surrounding a piece of Horsemen technology. But dammit, Elfnein trusted Hibiki so she was sure she could trust Hibiki’s papa. She was sure SONG could trust Hibiki’s papa.

“If you were a computer engineer… could I get your help on something?” She asked.

“Hmm?” Akira blinked curiously. “What is it?”

Elfnein hesitated a moment. “First, I have to make it clear to you: what I am about to show you is top secret. It relates to the Four Horsemen and some of their capabilities that we are trying to replicate. If you talk to someone who isn’t cleared for this, it could place Hibiki and the others at risk. Do you understand? Are you still willing to help?”

Akira stiffened, his face growing grim. “If it’s for Hibiki and her friends, anything. You have my vow of silence.”

Elfnein unrolled the blueprints, gesturing to them. “What do you make of this? Particularly the parts that are corrupted or blotted.”

Elfnein watched Akira’s face closely as he examined the Apegear blueprints. Hibiki’s father bent over, his eyes roaming across the layout. It was interesting to see him take it in: his brow would furrow, trace some lines, then unfurrow as his eyes lit up in realization.

“This is incredible.” He finally breathed. “The arrangement and scale of the microprocessors. I’ve never seen anything like this. But how could they… oh, I see that connects there and this… hmm.” He shook his head. “This is amazing. I think I understand the network, although the input-output is unfamiliar to me.”

“But what about these corrupted and blotted out parts in the network?” Elfnein insisted. “Do you have any idea how they made those work?”

“Well, I can’t narrow it down to any one single thing.” Akira said, as he looked over the blueprints again. “But I can think of around a dozen possibilities that might work.”

Excitement filled Elfnein. _Only _a dozen possibilities! With her reading of the blueprints and her knowledge, she had identified hundreds.

“Could you list them for me?” She hurriedly grabbed up a pen and notebook she was using, flipping to an empty page, shoving them across the table towards a bemused Akira, who lifted up the pen and methodically wrote them down. The moment he was done, the Alchemist quickly grabbed up the notebook and read.

This was incredible! It made perfect sense. She had to see how they filled in the blank spots on the blueprints and she had just the person to show her. Elfnein looked up eagerly at Akira. “You have to come with me to my lab!”

\----

Miku’s beam mirrors spat light, blasting Vanessa’s incoming rockets out of the air. But the alchemical cyborg’s barrage was simply too big for her to intercept all of them and a handful tore out of the smoke and debris to slam into the hovering Shenshoujing user, sending her spiralling down. The stalking form of Elsa’s wolf-mech reacted to the opportunity, pouncing after the falling black haired girl. Recovering quickly, Miku caught her fall with her own whips and pushed off out of the way of Elsa’s blow. Miku levelled her armed gear as she sprung away and a beam of energy enveloped the mech. The blast would only put Elsa down temporarily, but the respite would let her focus on the other two alchemists.

Vanessa shot in after Miku, both her rocket boots and integrated machine guns blazing. Miku responded by swerving and kiting, responding to the barrage of bullets with blast after blast of beams. Though she felt that she had the situation well in hand at the moment, Miku was not blind to one, overriding concern: where was Millaarc?

The answer came in the form of not one, but two figures blasting out of the office buildings on either side of Miku. One was the well-defined form of the vampire, the other clearly her red clone, and both had their limbs enhanced with their chiroptera. But Miku knew from Maria and Tsubasa that Millaarc’s clones were no less dangerous than the original.

Despite the ambush occurring at such close range, Miku was on guard enough to lash out the Shenshoujing’s whips just in time as she continued to exchange her barrage with Vanessa. The triumphant grins of both Millaarcs swiftly became one of astonishment as they were batted away without breaking Miku’s attention from Vanessa one bit. But the distraction was enough for the _third _clone to smash into Miku from behind, driving Miku straight into Vanessa’s barrage of alchemical bullets and towards Vanessa herself.

Miku felt more than saw Shenshoujing flash [Condition: Red] as the combined damage from Millaarc and Vanessa continued to mount. Pushing through the shock quickly, she fell back to unfolding Shenshoujing into its mirror form as an impromptu shield against Vanessa’s fire. Like against Gowon, it wouldn’t hold against the Cyborg’s fire forever but it didn’t need to. Simultaneously, Miku smashed into the third Millaarc clone with one of her whips. But the form vanished into a cloud of bats that flew into Miku, disorienting and stunning her.

And that’s when Elsa’s recovered wolf-mech leapt upon the black-haired girl, tearing at her armor as Millaarc and Vanessa, the latter activating her harmonic scalpel, likewise closed in on the pinned Shenshoujing user. The subsequent rain of blows swiftly overwhelmed the Shenshoujing’s defensive abilities and tore into Miku herself.

[Mission Failed - Excess Damage Inflicted]

From the control room, the six other adaptors, one alchemist, and Fujitaka gave a synchronized wince as the simulation ended. Noble Red and the ruined cityscape vanished, leaving just a scuffed up Miku shaking her head as she levitated to her feet with her Ionocraft modules, stubbornly determined to try again.

“That was the tenth try.” Chris said, scowling at the screen before glancing at Elfnein. “C’mon, what’s the problem? She wants it! There isn’t anything wrong with her ‘Gear is there?”

The alchemist shook her head. “Everything indicates Shenshoujing should be able to activate Amalgam. It has to be something with Miku.” She paused, thought over precisely how that sounded, and then urgently added. “Not that I don’t think she can’t do it! But there must be something holding _her _up.”

Kirika brought her hand to her chin, adopting a classical thinking pose. “Well, the whole process is based on putting her in danger without actually putting her in danger. The sims should be realistic enough for that.”

“Except Miku knows it’s a simulation.” Shirabe said. “She comes into the room with blank, white walls and sees everything fade in. From the very beginning, she knows it’s not real.”

“And it’s pretty hard to convince yourself that it’s real after seeing that.” Fujitaka nodded to himself.

“So what we need to do is something that will make her forget it’s a simulation completely.” Maria surmised. “Something that blocks out that nagging realization the whole thing isn’t real.”

“Maybe we go at it a slightly different way.” Tsubasa said, following Maria’s train of thought. “Instead of trying to convince her that she’s in danger, we convince her something she cares about is in danger. The question is, what does Kohinata care about enough that might work?”

There was a moment's silence as everyone processed the question. Then, as one, they all turned to stare at Hibiki. The Gungnir user blinked in confusion. “What? Is there something on my face?”

—

In lieu of anything else to glare at in frustration, Miku chose the wall to suffer her gaze. For almost a week they had tried different scenarios where she had no hope of winning and would have to go Amalgam just to survive. The Red Dragon, the Nephilim, Carol burning through all her memories, Adam’s Final Form, and now unbeatable complete Noble Red. One time they had even ditched any attempts at fanciness and had her fight an endless army of Staples and Automen that kept her distracted long enough for a high-yield nuke drop.

Pretty much the only thing they hadn’t tried to throw at her was some form of Divine Entity. Apparently, the sims couldn’t properly handle the unpredictable nature of Divine Power. Miku decided that might as well have been for the best. Miku didn’t know how she would react to facing Shem-Ha again, even if it was just a simulation.

She glanced at the digital clock. It was taking a bit longer than usual for them to decide whether to move on or have another go. Just as she was wondering if she should speak-up or dispel, Elfnein finally called in from the observation room. “Okay, Miku. Hold on one moment, we’re going to run the Red Dragon scenario again with one difference.”

The Shenshoujing user cocked her head curiously, but her reply was pre-empted as the door slid open and Hibiki stepped in, a confident grin on her face.

“Hibiki?” Miku said, her confusion only growing. “What are you doing?”

“Giving you a bit of assistance.” Hibiki answered as she walked over.

Well, that was a singularly unhelpful answer.

“Wouldn’t having you help out defeat the point?” Miku pointed out.

“Well, the thing is I’m not going to fight.” Hibiki pulled down the collar of her SONG uniform slightly. Miku’s eyes widened as she realized her girlfriend’s familiar pendant necklace was missing.

“Okay, Miku.” Fujitaka’s voice said through the speakers. “The enemy has caught you and Hibiki out while Gungnir’s undergoing maintenance. You have to defend her. We’ll start in thirty-seconds.”

Miku glanced back and forth between Hibiki and the camera to the observation room in disbelief.

“Hey Miku.” Hibiki’s voice fixed Miku’s attention, snapping her out of the momentary bewilderment. The Gungnir wielder wasn’t looking directly at her, rather Hibiki seemed to be looking into space. “I managed to think of one piece of advice involving Amalgam. It’s something Saint Germain told me.”

“The alchemist?”

“Mmm, yeah.” Hibiki turned to give her girlfriend an encouraging smile. “She appeared before me just before I first used Amalgam and told me never to forget to stay true to your feelings and the reason you fight. I think that’s the key.”

As Miku contemplated the words, Hibiki sighted something over her shoulder. The smile abruptly fell off her face, replaced by an uncharacteristic terror that caused Miku’s skin to crawl. The Shenshoujing user whipped around to find the immense form of the Red Dragon of Revelations looming over the pair.

The Red Dragon’s tentacles whipped out, directed primarily not at Miku but towards Hibiki. Reacting quickly, Miku shot backwards to grab her girlfriend and turned skyward, her Ionocraft modules roaring.

The Dragon once again followed up with a barrage of homing beams from its neck fins. This time, however, Miku didn’t just attempt to evade. Holding the shivering Hibiki close to her with one arm, she twisted around with her armed gear in the other and fired off a series of shots aiming to intercept the pursuing energy weapon.

Red clashed with purple, the violence of the shockwaves battering at the flying Symphogear user. One blast loosened her grip on Hibiki and with a cry of shock, the Gungnir user slipped from her grasp, poised to fall. Quickly, Miku twisted around and grabbed her arm.

“Miku!” Hibiki shouted, fear evident in her voice. “Please, don’t let go!”

“I won’t!” Miku yelled back, over the howl of her Ionocraft modules. “I won’t ever let go again!”

The Red Dragon sent another barrage of red beams up at her and again Miku twisted, turned, and fired back at them. But with her attention divided between trying to hold onto Hibiki’s arm, she missed one beam and turned at just the wrong moment for it to slam into her stomach. The shock of the blast violently drove the two girls apart.

Hibiki’s terrified scream tore through the haze in Miku’s mind, instantly causing her to recover from the shock. Any memory that she was in a simulation was driven from her mind as she raced down after the descending Hibiki, pushing her Ionocraft modules like she never had before. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Red Dragon nose towards Hibiki, charging up its main beam weapon.

She was going to catch Hibiki before it fired, she was certain of that much. But there would be no time to dodge the Dragon’s beam and the explosion would certainly vaporize Hibiki! Miku’s mind raced but she couldn’t find a way out of it. If she couldn’t protect Hibiki, then what point was there to being able to fight alongside Hibiki?

The realization tore through her like a thunderbolt. _‘Stay true to why I fight…’_

That’s right, making up for going with Ver wasn’t the only reason she fought. Miku also wanted to protect the things precious to her: her friends, her life, and most of all…

“_Hibiki_!” Miku screamed as she dove down to catch her girlfriend, placing herself between the Dragon and Hibiki just as the former fired off it’s main weapon again. The beam struck the black haired girl square in the back and a massive mid-air explosion consumed both figures.

But unlike every other time, no [Mission Failed - Excess Damage Inflicted] popped up. The simulation didn’t end. Instead a translucent silver ball of light slowly descended from the bottom of the explosion, two figures clearly visible within.

“She did it!” Kirika and Shirabe shouted excitedly together, already booking it for the observation rooms door. Tsubasa, Maria, and Fujitaka all smiled while Chris released the breath she only just realized she was holding. Hastily, Elfnein manually cancelled the simulation, causing Miku and Hibiki to cease descending as the floor rematerialized beneath them.

Hibiki stared. She, along with everyone else, had brought their own Amalgams out for Miku during the past week as something of a demonstration in the hopes it would help her figure it out somehow. Still, the Gungnir user couldn’t help but gape a little at how beautiful she thought her girlfriend looked in her Amalgam armor.

As Elfnein said, there were only a few differences, almost all of which were cosmetic. The overall composition of the armor was the same as for the rest of them, essentially stripping Miku down to the modified undersuit, but the energy shield was silver instead of gold and the color scheme was noticeably different. For the other adaptors, their Amalgam was usually three colors: gold, white, and their own unique ones, like yellow for Hibiki, were the dominant mix. But Miku had four: gold, white, royal purple, and silver highlights.

“Miku…” Hibiki breathed in awe.

“Hibiki, I did it.” Miku said as she stared at her arms, a smile crossing her face.

“Yeah.” Hibiki began to smile as well. “You did it. You did it!” The chestnut haired girl threw arms around her girlfriend, laughing cheerfully.

The door to the observation room opened and the Zababa duo rushed out, followed by the others moving a slightly more measured pace. With a cry of “Death!” Kirika leapt forward to glomp both Miku and Hibiki in a group hug…

And came to an abrupt halt a few feet away as her face smacked into Miku’s silver energy field. Seeing this, Shirabe aborted her own planned glomp and instead rushed up to make sure Kirika hadn’t hurt herself too much.

“Ow, what gives?!” Kirika said, rubbing at her forehead.

“Sorry!” Miku blushed, embarrassed. “Just let me take a moment and… there. I _think _you all should be able to come through now.”

Hesitantly, Kirika and Shirabe reached forward to probe the shield’s surface. Their hesitation vanished as they managed to reach right through and both leapt through to glomp on Miku and Hibiki as the rest of the adaptors ran up, smiles on their faces.

“Hm.” Maria noted, her attention on Miku’s legs, more specifically the sole difference that appeared more than cosmetic. There were small rectangles on her knees that she knew weren’t present on any of their own suits when in Amalgam. They were much smaller, but there was no doubt as to what they were. “It didn’t get rid of the Ionocraft?”

“Yes, they’re still there.” Miku glanced down as well, a puzzled frown crossing her face. She indicated for Hibiki and the Zababa pair to back off and, when they did so, concentrated for a moment. She felt her feet lift imperceptibly off the ground, but try as she might she couldn’t get it to go any further. “I can’t seem to get them to go above minimum power.”

Elfnein examined her PDA, which was currently running a program to analyze the Shenshoujing’s Amalgam. “It looks like your Amalgam keeps the modules but locks their output to the bare minimum. I guess it’s to make sure you descend smoothly if you activate it while flying, rather than just fall out of the sky, while still maintaining the defensive shield. That does mean your cocoon is slightly weaker compared to the others, but the difference is negligible enough that it isn't really noticeable.”

“Well, whatever the details, I think this calls for a celebration!” Hibiki cheered, giving Miku another hug.

“Hold on.” Tsubasa said. “What about Kohinata’s Imago form?”

There was a beat of several seconds as everybody’s mood fell. Chris broke the silence first. “Damnit!”

“Now, now.” Maria held up her hands to calm everyone down. “That doesn’t mean this isn’t a huge step forward worthy of celebration. She managed to get her Cocoon, she will surely get her Imago.” She graced Miku with her own smile. “In the meantime, congratulations.”

“Well!” Chris grinned, as Miku released her transformation. “I never doubted for a moment you could do it.” She looked squarely at Hibiki. “And you! When did you become such a good actor?”

Hibiki’s grin gained a sly quality as she released Miku to step towards the Ichaival user. Chris leaned away at the abrupt invasion into her personal space. “What?”

“Aww, Chris-chan, you can admit that I managed to make you worried.” The Gungnir user said. “You’re such a Tsundere.”

Chris went stock still, her face blank. Maria rolled her eyes. Miku and Tsubasa sighed in unison, the latter pressing a finger to her temple. Fujitaka chuckled. Elfnein mouthed the word to herself in confusion. Shirabe and Kirika exchanged a knowing glance before ducking behind Miku.

“Erm… Chris? You okay?” Hibiki asked, a growing sense of unease at the Ichaival users silence.

And then she flinched as Chris growled at her. “_What did you just call me?_”

Hibiki yelped and turned to run, but Chris’s hand lashed out fast as lightning to grab the chestnut haired girl by the arm and give a quick yank. The force of the pull forced Hibiki around just in time for Chris to reach up, grab both of her cheeks, and _pulled_. “Tsundere, huh?! This enough Tsun for you?! Because you’re not getting any Dere!”

“I’m sowwy!” Hibiki groaned painfully. “Mwiiiiikuuuu swave me again!”

“Sorry, Hibiki.” Miku replied, hiding her amused grin at how adorable her girlfriend looked. “You dug this grave for yourself.”

“Now, now.” Fujitaka said, deciding to defuse things before Hibiki really got Chris to hurt her. He turned to nod towards Miku. “How about we serve some ice cream in the cafeteria to celebrate Kohinata activating her Amalgam? Kohinata gets an extra serving for a job well done, of course.”

Deciding that the opportunity for ice cream was better than punishing Hibiki’s insolence, Chris relented and let go of the taller girl. As the group turned to leave, Miku tended to Hibiki’s hurt cheek despite her earlier words, a warm smile on her face. She supposed that she wasn’t quite on the level of Hibiki and the others yet, but with all of the training they had put in this month and the breakthrough today, she felt as if the finish line had come in sight.

\----

Chris took a moment to brace herself, her hand on the door knob to the medical ward beyond. She didn’t exactly think she wanted to do this, but the curiosity was driving her up a wall. Taking a deep breath for good measure, she opened the door and stepped in.

Something like four dozen beds lay in the room. Next to each one lay the necessary machinery for feeding tubes and waste drainage, the standard sort used on coma patients. Well, Chris supposed they did count as coma patients, except everybody knew for sure that they would never be waking up.

Despite her mental preparation, Chris still felt a shiver run down her spine as she looked over the sleeping clones of her and her friends. God, it was so creepy to see several versions of herself all lined up in a row, even if they were unconscious. She couldn’t help but wonder whether she ever looked that peaceful when sleeping.

But Chris’s sense of bizarreness was joined by a modicum of surprise as she immediately noticed that she wasn’t the only conscious person in the room.

“What are you doing here?” Chris asked Maria.

“I could ask you the same thing.” The pinkette didn’t even glance up at her. She just sat there next to one of the beds, her gaze focused on it with a gentle expression. Walking over, Chris looked down past Maria at the sleeping form of Serena. Or a clone of the girl at least.

Suddenly, Chris felt incredibly awkward. It was stupid, she wasn’t exactly walking in on a reunion between the two or anything, but the Ichaival user couldn’t help but feel as if she had just interrupted an incredibly private moment. “Should I come back later?”

Maria shook her head, leaning back in a folding chair with a sigh. Her gaze moved up a bed, where the second, somewhat younger Serena clone lay. “No. You have just as much a right to be here as I do. Besides, it’s not as if any of them are the real thing.”

Chris took a moment to scan the room again, her gaze invariably fixating upon the oldest clone of herself. She walked over to stand next to… her? It? They?

Chris was jolted out of her own reflection by Maria’s voice. The pinkette had quietly stood up and approached her. “You know, you look awfully… floofy with your hair worn down.”

“Floofy? Is that even a word?”

Maria glanced up, pressing a finger to her chin. “I think I heard Kirika use it once. She was referring to a video game character, I think, not you.”

“She better not have.” Chris said, looking back down at the clone. “Have any of the others come here?”

“Tsubasa has, a few times. To see the Kanade ones. It’s the same reason I come to see the Serena ones.” Maria lapsed into silence, not sure precisely how to explain her reason. She hadn’t been lying when she said seeing a Serena in the flesh once again wasn’t like the real thing, but it still felt like some kind of approximation. The fact that Tsubasa came to see the Kanade clones for the same reason actually made her a little jealous, even if Maria knew it was stupid to be jealous of a vegetabilised carbon copy of someone long dead.

Chris didn’t press. “So did anybody in command say anything about what we’re going to do with them?”

“Officially,” Maria said. “They are being used to try and study how the Horsemen modify human brain structure in their clones.”

“Cute.” Chris grunted. “And unofficially?”

Maria gave a hollow laugh. “Nobody has the first clue. I mean, what _can_ we do with them? Just kill them?”

“Maybe.” Chris muttered to herself, drawing a surprised look from Maria. “Sorry, I’m not advocating for it. I’m just wondering: what would the difference be between killing them and killing the Staples? Hell, at least the Staples have capacity for actual actions and some abstract thinking, even if they lack the capacity for independent thought. But these guys?” The Ichaival user swept around the room with her hand. “They can’t do anything but lie there and sleep. Doesn’t that sound like hell to you?”

Maria stared at Chris before turning her attention to the Chris clones and then sweeping the room with her stare. “Maybe a little.” She smiled slightly, hoping to defuse the awkward question with a little humor. “But, I bet Tachibana would disagree with you on being able to sleep this much as hellish.”

Chris laughed, but it sounded a little bit forced to Maria. “Yeah, I’m sure the idiot would love it. Sleep is right up there with food and her girlfriend on her priorities list.”

Maria carefully studied Chris for a long moment.

“It’s not really the clones that bother you.” She asked.

Chris sighed and shook her head. “A little. But it’s also what they represent.”

“Sumphonia?” Maria said. Chris caught that it wasn’t a question despite her inflection. The pinkette continued. “We’ll be okay. So long as we’re togeth-”

“I know that!” Chris snapped. She whirled around and marched over to the folding chair Maria had previously been sitting in. Adjusting it so it was against the wall, she plopped down before continuing. “You guys will still be there, and I also received some advice on it from someone I trust.”

Maria’s eyes widened in alarm. “You didn’t tell them, did you?”

Chris shook her head. “Nah, I was discreet about it. They figured I was talking about suddenly becoming a public figure and how that seemed to be causing everything to change so fast.”

Maria sighed in relief. “Then what? How others will react when they find out?” 

It was a fear she knew they all shared at the moment, but she felt it more acutely than most. Not so much because of the prospect of people turning against her, again, but the prospect of them turning against her family. After all they did to protect humanity, she supposed it would be a cruel irony if mankind made themselves their enemy.

“That’s part of it.” Chris continued. “But it’s also Komichi.”

“Oh.” Maria said in realization. Because what else could she say to that?

“Yeah.” Chris breathed. “That shit drops on us right at the same time I manage to make a breakthrough with her.” She reached up and began to twirl one of her braids with her finger as she spoke. “I’m going to live forever as a immortal goddess or demi-goddess or whatever-the-fuck-ess and she’s going to grow old and die and all I can do is fucking watch.”

“Are you giving up on her because of it?” Maria asked.

“Fuck no.” Chris immediately spat back. “What was that Shakespeare quote? Better to have loved and lost than never loved at all, I think?”

“It wasn’t Shakespeare.” Maria corrected. “You’re several centuries off.”

“Eh, whatever.” Chris shrugged. “The point is: yeah, I’m dreading when those days come. But I’ll be damned if I can live with myself if I just give up on other people again. I made that mistake before.”

“Well, I’m sorry I can’t offer any advice. It’s not really a problem I face. I can only say we’ll always try to be there for you.” Maria spread her hands apologetically. “And besides, it’s good to hear you admit you love her.”

Chris froze, sitting straight up, her eyes going wide which drew a laugh from Maria.

“N-now hold on!” The Ichaival user sputtered. “I never said that I lo-l… like her like that!”

Maria only laughed harder, bringing her hand up to cover up her mirth and stop herself from doubling over. Chris scowled in response, sitting back with her arms crossed grumpily. “You suck, see if I ever confide in you again.”

“I’m sorry, Chris.” Maria said as she brought herself back under control. “You are just so fun to tease. I get why Tachibana and Tsubasa do it all the time. And you make it so easy when it comes to Ayano as well.”

“Oh?” Chris arched an eyebrow. “How so?”

“Well, she’s the only one I’ve seen you regularly address by first name.” Maria answered. She paused for a moment. “Well, besides me, but I understand how ‘Cadenzavna Eve’ can be a bit tough. Even in English it’s a mouthful. Otherwise, you only occasionally even use surnames, let alone given ones. Most of the time, it’s nicknames at best and-Chris? Are you okay?”

Chris hadn’t heard a thing Maria said after her first sentence. She had gone as stiff as a board as she realized that Maria was right. When the hell had she started doing that? Sometime between reuniting with Komichi at the start of the school year and when this whole sorry mess had begun, yeah. But that didn’t exactly narrow things down.

When was the last time she had been comfortable enough with someone to address them on such familiar terms? Sonya? Sonya had been like a sister to Chris. But Komichi didn’t feel like a sister. She felt like...

The words flew out of Chris’s mouth unbidden at the realization. “Oh, shit. I do love her.” Then, abruptly remembering that there were more than clones in the room, she snapped her mouth shut and glared at Maria. “You didn’t hear that.”

“Hear what?” Maria asked innocently.

Chris eyed the pinkette suspiciously for a moment. Finally she stood up to leave. “Alright, but if you tell anyone then I’m telling Tsubasa about your crush on her.”

“Eh?” Maria said in worried confusion. “Tell her about my what? Chris? Hey, come back here!”

Chris smirked as she heard the hurried footsteps chase after her. And Maria said she was the fun one to tease? Well, turnabout's fair play. And hey, at least it didn’t take Chris as long as Hibiki to realize she had those kinds of feelings for someone! Maria caught up with the Ichaival user rapidly enough but remained nervously silent, unwilling to push the issue lest Chris make good on her threat.

They didn’t speak for awhile, turning down hospital corridors as they made their way back to the entrance. A few staffers nodded their greetings toward them.

“So…” Maria finally began after a few minutes as they headed for the base hospital’s exist.

What's up?" Chris said.

“Are you going to invite Ayano to the award ceremony?”

Well it might still be about Komichi, but at least it wasn’t exactly about Chris’s feelings toward the shy girl.

“Already did. Had to kinda push her to say yes. Sell it as her supporting me against the media.” Chris frowned. “God, there’s gonna be reporters there.”

“Well, they won’t be permitted to ask any questions.” Maria reassured the silver-haired girl. “I believe most of the talking is done by others anyway. You just have to endure praise.”

Chris glanced over her shoulder suspiciously at that last comment, but Maria looked perfectly innocent. “You’re not concerned about the fact that this will be right before your birthday?”

“No.” Maria said. “It’s a full day apart. ”

Chris didn’t mention that they were planning for Maria’s birthday party and the award party to be one and the same. Kirika wanted to keep that aspect a surprise, after all. Chris was sure that Shirabe was using the opportunity to have Kirika plan yet another party, and a birthday party to boot, as a means to keep her girlfriend from having another depressive episode. Her lips tightened at the thought as she tried to ponder what she might do to help her Kouhai.

“Hmm? What’s going on here?” Maria asked as they stepped out of the base hospital and turned towards the pier where the SONG HQ was parked, pulling Chris out of her ruminations. A trio of cars with Chinese flags sticking out of their bumpers were pulled up on the pier. A group of agents stood by the cars and another by the sub, the former Chinese Ministry of State Security and the latter SONG, engaging in a low-key stare-off. Between the two groups were Ogawa, Tomosato, and a third girl neither Maria or Chris recognized.

She was quite recognizably Chinese, a bit taller than Hibiki, and had long black hair and brown eyes. She was chatting away with a happy, almost prideful air. Tomosato and even Ogawa seemed more than a little surprised by her appearance, although she gave no indication she noticed.

“-so I felt I’d like to visit and get to know them!” The Chinese girl was finishing up as they approached. Her Japanese was heavily accented, but good.

“Excuse me? What is going on?” Maria asked as Chris and her walked up. The Chinese agents tensed for a moment but relaxed as soon as they recognized the two young women. Ogawa opened his mouth to reply, but was beaten to it by the girl whose eyes lit up when she spotted the two adaptors.

“A pleasure to meet you, Maria-senpai, Yukine-senpai!” The Chinese girl bowed eagerly. “I’m Qiao Cai, the eighth Symphogear adaptor. I look forward to working together with you!”

Commander Ogawa sighed and Tomosato pressed a pair of fingers to her head in pained exasperation. Maria and Chris, on the other hand, stiffened in shock as their eyes practically doubled in size in an instant. Their response was in perfect unison: “**WHAT?!**”

\----

**Next Chapter: **Lamentation and Tragedies

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Maria is referring to the clone Chris’ hair as “floofy” is a reference to the latest XDU event featuring AU!Chris and AU!Tsubasa. Speaking of which, someone described the organization alter-Chris and Basa work for in the latest event as "Fuck Relics: The Organisation: More Reasonable Than The Fanfic Version" and after getting the full story out of them I am now amused by the vague paralleling of ideas.
> 
> On Bikky’s Pa: all we are told about his education and work background in the key notes and other side material is that he was a “respected researcher” before the Zwei Wing tragedy pissed off his boss enough to ruin his career. He took his downfall from grace poorly and when combined with all the more direct pressure his family was coming under… well, it contributed to him becoming the character we see in GX. Making the vague “researcher” into the much more specific “computer engineer” isn’t too much of a stretch.
> 
> Him being unexpectedly critical in helping Elfnein reverse-engineer the Apegear? I planned it as soon as I figured SONG would reverse-engineer the Apegear.


	21. Lamentations and Tragedies

Distortions  
Chapter 21:  
Lamentations and Tragedies

\----

“Oh, you don’t have a Symphogear yet!” Maria breathed in relief.

Qiao grinned a bit sheepishly. “Yeah, sorry if I got ahead of myself there. They're actually calling me a ‘prime candidate’ right now, not an adaptor.” Then she smiled cheerily, her eyes practically sparkling, and quickly said. “But even if I can’t deploy yet, I’m really looking forward to being able to get to know the adaptors!”

“How long?” Chris asked in an intense voice, glancing between Ogawa and the Chinese girl. She had a strange expression on her face, as if Qiao was a gift basket of food that Chris was willing to eat but didn’t particularly like.

Qiao’s grin faltered. “I’m not sure I understand the question?”

Chris closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn’t know this girl, she didn’t know how much she had been told. She shouldn’t take anything out on her. Even if this bombshell did make it awfully tempting. “How long until they build a Symphogear for you?”

“Ah,” Qiao said, shifting a bit uncomfortably. ”They indicated it’d be quite awhile, but I didn’t get an exact time frame.” She glanced over at Commander Ogawa questioningly.

“We’re still assessing all the data being sent to us.” He answered. “Minimum estimate right now is about a year.”

“I see.” Chris glanced away and took another calming breath. “Welcome to SONG headquarters. I hope you enjoy your stay.” With that stilted greeting, she hurried away towards the sub, the SONG agents parting to let her through. She needed a quiet place to think.

Qiao’s confusion deepened as she watched the Ichaival wielder go. Worry displaced her earlier eagerness. “Is everything okay?”

“She’s just surprised.” Maria moved quickly to reassure her with a halt-truth. “We hadn’t been informed yet that they were expanding the Symphogear unit, so your arrival is a bit of a shock.” As surreptitiously as she could, Maria sent a glance at Tomosato which asked ‘And when the hell were you going to inform us of this?’

The bridge crew held her hands up defensively. “You were going to be briefed before the training session.” The look she sent back also communicated, ‘We also didn’t know she would be visiting either.’

“I understand.” Qiao said, pulling Maria’s attention back to her. The brunette looked a bit bashful. “I guess I should have called ahead.” But then her starry-eyed smile returned. “But I was so eager to meet you all I wanted to go as soon as they would let me! Especially you, Maria-san!”

“Me?” Maria asked, blinkingly.

“Yeah,” Qiao nodded so hard Maria wondered if her head would come off. “You and Kazanari. You two are fellow idols, after all.” She paused, and then looked down at the ground. “Oh, uh… even if you are retiring.”

“I see. I’m sure we’ll have much to talk about.” Maria said. “I need to talk some things over with Commander Ogawa first, but the others will be coming along soon.” Mentally she added. ‘And we’re going to have to tell them the news so she doesn’t just surprise them like she did me and Chris.’ Maria hoped her polite smile didn’t come off as strained.

Fortunately if it did, Qiao didn’t notice. “Okay! Let me talk with my security detail first. There was a bit of an argument when we first arrived between them and some of your people, but I’m sure I can convince them to agree that SONG can handle things from here.”

Spinning around, she shouted in Mandarin at one of the Chinese MSS agents who had just been standing there, eyeing their SONG counterparts. One of them replied brusquely and soon the two were engaged in what sounded like a rather heated argument.

“I’ll give her a tour of the submarine.” Tomosato volunteered. “To keep her busy while you decide on a course of action.”

“Thank you, Tomosato.” Ogawa said, before quietly nodding to Maria to follow him.

—

“You have got to be joking.” Tsubasa said a few hours later. “The Horsemen aren’t going to wait until she’s ready. They are going to come down on this poor girl the moment they can spare the resources from their higher priority targets. Not to mention...” She trailed off, but everybody could figure out that she was alluding to Sumphonia.

“We’re trying to slow walk this as best we can without tipping off the Security Council.” Ogawa answered. “Elfnein suggested ways to drag the process out for as much as triple the minimum estimate. Maybe by then we’ll have found some way to reverse or prevent it.”

“And the Horsemen?” Tsubasa asked, only to receive a sad shrug from the commander.

All of the adaptors were gathered in the dedicated briefing room, a smiling image of Qiao Cai projected up on the whiteboard. They had listened in silence as Ogawa explained the decision by the UN to expand the Symphogear unit with foreign candidates. And that Cai was visiting as China’s ‘prime candidate’.

“A new Symphogear adaptor, less experienced than us?” Kirika muttered idly. Then her eyes widened in shock and she let out a startled “Dess!”

Shirabe turned at her girlfriend's sudden cry. “What is it, Kiri-chan?”

“If she’s less experienced than us, that means we’re her senpais, right?!” Kirika couldn’t decide whether the prospect made her excited or nervous. Shirabe’s eyes widened as well as she got Kirika’s point.

“She’s older than you two.” Chris muttered. She massaged her temples. Then again, weren’t the Zababa duo already senpais for any first-years at Lydian? Chris discontinued that line of thought before it gave her a real headache.

“This isn’t something we can change, we’ll have to trust the SONG command staff to handle it, like we always have.” Tsubasa said. “What we can decide is how to approach her.”

“Is that really something we really have to debate?” Hibiki asked, glancing up at the Chinese girl’s picture. “I mean, she seems nice enough.”

“You say that about everybody.” Chris remarked. But there was no real weight or venom in the statement, it was just an observation. “But her attitude… she doesn’t know what it’s like.”

“Chris?” Miku’s voice grew concerned.

“She comes in here, with all this shit weighing us down and without even as much as a heads-up.” Chris growled. “I mean, are we seriously going to have to be saddled with babysitting some overeager newbie?! She doesn’t even have a ‘Gear, so if the Horsemen attack she’s a liability!”

“Yukine!” Tsubasa abruptly spoke up, her voice reprimanding.

Chris straightened and looked at Tsubasa.

“She’s never going to stop being a newbie unless we let her in.” Tsubasa saidi. She motioned to Hibiki. “I made the mistake of shunning a potential new comrade once. I almost died because of it.”

“That’s different.” Chris retorted a little bit anxiously, tapping at her leg. “The dummy already had her ‘Gear. You didn’t have to worry about her getting carbonized by some Noise… or head caved in by a bullet, as the case may be.”

Miku frowned, leaning forward slightly. “I didn’t have a Symphogear for the longest time. Did you think I was a burden? What about Ayano-san?”

At her friend’s name, Chris shot to her feet, her face hardening into an angered snarl as she screamed. “Don’t bring her into this!”

Miku flinched back at the unexpected explosion of anger. Shirabe and Kirika gave surprised yelps and backed away in fright. Maria and Tsubasa tensed, ready to intervene, but Hibiki also shot to her feet, holding out a protective arm as if blocking Chris from her girlfriend. “Chris!”

At the Gungnir wielder’s shout, Chris realized what she had just done and froze. The rage melted away, replaced by uncertainty and regret. The Ichaival user sank back into her seat, her head turning away. “I’m sorry… I just… I...” She trailed off, her voice hitching.

“It’s okay.” Miku tentatively said after a moment, slowly rising to her feet. She glanced at Hibiki, asking the chestnut-haired girl to step aside with her eyes. Quietly, the Gungnir user acceded to the silent request. Miku stepped over to the forlorn Ichaival user and sat down next to her before reaching out and gently laying her hand atop Chris’s. “I shouldn’t have mentioned Ayano.”

Chris didn’t say anything in response. She didn’t do anything either. Not until a pair of arms wrapped around her neck from behind, causing her to stiffen in surprise.

“Please, Senpai.” Kirika pleaded as she hugged the older girl over the back of the couch. “Don’t be like this.”

Chris sighed and gave an apologetic look to Miku, who in turn simply shook her head as if to say “think nothing of it” as she quietly let go of Ichaival wielder’s hand. Kirika let herself be shrugged off as Chris straightened up. Hibiki came over and sat back down on the other side of Chris from Miku, shooting her best friend a reassuring smile as she did so.

“I think,” Shirabe spoke-up after another moment, “It would be best if we at least tried to get to know her. If she is going to become an adaptor, then we need to know how well we can work along with her as well as whether she can handle the change into Sumphonia.”

Chris sighed, she couldn’t find any fault with that logic, and if Shirabe of all people was willing to try it, then Chris didn’t see why she shouldn’t. Plus, Miku did have a point. “Alright, alright. We’ll give her a shot. Why not?”

“There is one other issue.” Maria looked hard at the commander. “Have you taken into account the potential security risk here?”

Ogawa nodded, but the other adaptors sent her a confused look instead.

“She could be a spy.” Maria clarified.

“You think the Horsemen sent her?” Miku asked.

Chris furrowed her brow. “Doesn’t seem like something they’d do. I mean, I could see them trying to get someone in SONG, but not as a candidate to be an adaptor.”

“Not the Horsemen.” Maria corrected. “China.”

A moment of silence hung over the briefing room as everyone considered Maria’s suggestion.

“Is there any evidence for that?” Kirika asked, glancing at the door as if Qiao might be standing right outside, trying to listen in. Not that it would matter as the briefing room was soundproofed against that sort of thing.

“No, but it is a possibility we have considered.” Ogawa said. “Tomosato is making sure not to take her into any particularly sensitive areas because of it. The only exception is the bridge, but even there we’re making sure she doesn’t use any of the terminals or anything.”

“You don’t think that’s presumptive?” Miku asked. “It seems unfair to suspect her when we don’t have any evidence.”

“If the Chinese find out about Sumphonia…” Maria shook her head. “No, scratch that, if the world finds out about Sumphonia, they might just conclude the Horsemen have the right idea.”

Hibiki scratched her head. “You really think they’d do that?” 

“Dummy. You didn’t experience Shem-Ha’s attempt to connect us.” Chris shivered at the memory. “It was the most terrifying thing we’ve ever experienced. At that moment, everyone but you and your girlfriend lost everything that made them human - your free will, your emotions, your individuality - and became a part of Shem-Ha’s network. Those kinds of moments leave scars.” Her voice became hard. “If people had really thought that we were becoming something like Shem-Ha, then they just might turn against us.”

“You’re both right, we can’t alienate her.” Tsubasa concluded. “But we can’t be carefree around her either. Even if she isn’t a spy, she will likely be debriefed when she returns to China and they’ll be sure to take note of anything we’re hiding. Be friendly with her, but don’t share or talk about anything that’s still SONG classified if she’s listening in. If she starts inquiring about sensitive information, try to deflect as best you can.” She glanced about the room. “Agreed?”

All the adaptor’s nodded. Then nobody moved for a good five seconds. Having agreed on whether and how to approach Qiao Cai, it suddenly felt incredibly awkward to go try and meet her as if they hadn’t just discussed whether she was a suspicious person or not. With a sigh, Tsubasa was the first to work up the nerve to climb to her feet and turn to Shinji. “Alright, Ogawa. Take us to her.”

—

“Oh wow!” Qiao Cai gasped, her eyes like shining stars. “When you said you the others were coming along, I didn’t think you meant all of them!” She threw herself into a bow as eager as the one she had given to Maria and Chris. “I’m Qiao Cai, please take care of me.”

They met her in front of the submarine’s aquarium. It was one of the comfiest locations on the submarine for such a communal introduction. Some of them had always found its presence slightly perplexing. They were on a submarine. To have a container of water inside what was functionally a container of air that travelled through the water always struck them as strange. Still, it served as a great place to gather together and just relax.

“Well, we’ve stepped up training in response to the Horsemen.” Maria replied after everyone had formally introduced themselves. “Chris and I were on base early for personal reasons.”

“Training?” Qiao asked, taken aback for a moment. “Oh, I hope I didn’t derail it?”

“Not at all!” Hibiki quickly leapt on the statement. “In fact, how’d you like to watch?”

“An opportunity to get to see you train in person?” Qiao said, another eager grin spreading across her face. “I could not possibly turn that down.”

Quietly shadowing the girls as they headed towards the training room, Ogawa allowed himself to feel a bit of optimism. Watching them chat, Chris and Maria were holding themselves aloof from the Chinese girl for the moment, as was Shirabe despite her support for the idea. But the annoyance and anger the Ichaival user had shown towards the newcomer earlier did not rear its ugly head again. He could only hope it could stay that way.

He knew it would serve the girls good to re-establish solid connections outside of SONG, so as to make it harder for them to be threatened with isolation again like they were following the leaks. It would undoubtedly be essential if they were to be able to handle the future awaiting them.

His smile disappeared after a moment, as he mulled over his true concern about her. Despite his words to Maria, he didn’t suspect she was a spy. Sure, he was taking security precautions that were more on the safe side than genuine suspicion on his part. He didn’t get the sense from Qiao that she was a spy at all.

But what worried him a lot was what might happen if they got together with Qiao in some public place. If she was anything like how her profile described, then their relationship would definitely get off to a rocky start.

—

“You were so cool!” Qiao gushed. “Do you think I’ll look like that when I get my ‘Gear too?”

“You kept saying that yesterday too.” Chris muttered, in the same tone she used when commenting on Hibiki or the Zababa duo’s antics. She leaned on the table by her elbow with her hand on her chin. The straw clenched between her lips bobbed as she spoke.

“Probably not immediately.” Tsubasa answered the question. “The physical enhancements when transformed take a bit of getting used to.”

“Having outside training helps.” Hibiki added, “I think I’m the only one here who got thrown into it cold. And boy, was I a mess when I first started out!”

“It does, but it still takes a bit of getting used to.” Tsubasa said, chuckling nostalgically. “I remember when I first practiced my movements in Ame no Habakiri. I left a lot of holes in the gymnasium's ceiling because I kept putting too much force into my jumps. Father was flabbergasted that a child like me could do that.”

The seven adaptors and one prime candidate had agreed on a lunch out in a food court, to be followed by karaoke. Thus far, Qiao had been nothing but friendly and eager. She had swapped idol stories as well as tips with Tsubasa and Maria, comparing and contrasting the business in China and Japan. She laughed at Kirika and Hibiki’s antics and gave some advice to Miku on how to cook some Chinese recipes. Shirabe and Chris were the most distant, largely letting their friends take the lead in the actual interactions, but not for a lack of trying on Qiao’s part. And she hadn’t probed for any of SONG's secrets. Rather, all of her inquiries were surprisingly practical ones about what it was like to wear an active Symphogear.

Qiao scribbled down something on a notebook she was carrying, muttering to herself in Mandarin. When asked about it, she had claimed they were notes for when she finally got her Symphogear. And indeed, she did tend to write in it when they answered questions about it. Tsubasa, the one versed most in the Chinese language, had managed to peak over her shoulder at one point. What Qiao claimed seemed to check out against what she knew of the written language.

“So, Qiaochi, have you started training?” Kirika asked as she swallowed the last bit of takoyaki she had bought.

“Yep! I started a few weeks ago.” Qiao puffed her chest up in pride. “My instructors are from the PLA’s Oriental Sword group, my country's top special forces. They’re real hard drivers, but I’m getting used to the training regimen.”

“Military training, huh?” Hibiki wondered. “Do they include any action movies?”

Qiao blinked in confusion. “Action movies? Not really...”

“You should binge watch some!”

“Really?” Qiao sounded very skeptical. 

Chris grinned at that. “Heh, that was my reaction at first too. Then the old man lent me a movie where they used a martial arts based around guns. That was a great help in covering for my weakness at close-range combat.”

“Well, if Yukine-senpai says so.” Qiao still sounded skeptical, but she dutifully scrawled that down.

“You probably should tailor your movie watching habits to the kind of armed gear you get.” Maria said, then she paused in thought. “Do you know what your relic is?”

“It’s a fragment of the shield of Xingtian. The only bit they could find. They couldn’t find any part of his axe.” Qiao answered. “So I should look for stuff involving shields then?”

“Not necessarily.” Chris jabbed a thumb at Hibiki. “Gungnir’s a spear, yet the dummy’s armed gear are basically her hands with various types of gauntlets, even if some of them are spearlike. And I do more than just bows with Ichaival.”

“And Shul-Shagana was a scimitar, yet my armed gear is based around sawblades and cutting yoyos.” Shirabe added. “I recall Mo-erm, Professor Nastassja once said that an armed gear tends to modify itself based on what sort of fighting style fits the wielder best.”

“Sakurai once said the same thing.” Tsubasa confirmed.

“Well, you’ve got plenty of time.” Miku pointed out. “So you could probably watch a wide selection then review more specific material once you know for sure what your armed gear is.”

“Good idea!” Qiao agreed, scribbling that down. “I gotta say, I am looking forward to it. You guys look so cool in your ‘Gears. I’ve seen the photos, videos, and all kinds of art, seeing it in person is a completely different experience.”

“Hold up.” Hibiki made a ‘time-out’ sign with her hands. ”Did you say art?”

Tsubasa and Maria shared a knowing glance and both decided to take the opportunity to take a long pull from their drinks as Qiao spoke.

“Yeah! There’s been all sorts of artwork of you seven online since your identities became public.” Qiao said with stars in her eyes. “A lot of it is so awesome!”

“So, wait…” Shirabe said, glancing down at her phone. “If we search our own names, we’ll find a lot of artwork of us?” It wasn’t the first time she had thought of that, since the reveal. But knowing the sort of place the internet was like, she was afraid to try.

“I wouldn’t recommend it.” Tsubasa quickly added with a voice that spoke from long experience. “Unless you don’t mind having to go through a lot of porn of yourself.” Next to her, Maria nodded sagely.

Kirika and Shirabe’s mouths fell open and they blushed intensely. Chris froze with an expression of mute horror, her face as red as any of them had ever seen. Miku’s blush approached the redness of the Ichaival user’s, but she was quickly distracted as Hibiki choked on her drink, hacking away violently. That likewise distracted the seven adaptors and one prime candidate from the conversation for a minute.

“Well, what Kazanari-senpai said is true.” Qiao admitted after they all made sure Hibiki wasn’t about to fall victim to soda. The brunette was slightly blushing but, in spite of her words she had brought out her phone. “But not all of it is like that! Here, let me show you the best one I found.” She turned the screen around to the others. Curious in spite of the earlier words of caution, they huddled in.

The piece was titled Symphony of Heroines by the artist, ‘Visquick’. It took their breath away. On the right was a great, bright cityscape amidst which a mass of people watched what was happening to the left. Some were cowering, some did not seem to comprehend what was happening, and others were rushing forward toward the center as if to offer support. On the left, a series of dark clouds receded into the distance. In the furthest clouds, the adaptors could make out the forms of their previous opponents: Adam, Carol, Doctor Ver, Fine, and various types of Noise. But creeping from the closest shadows were a series of figures that the adaptors instantly recognized as Staples, raising their weapons as they stepped out from the darkness.

And in the center of the piece, facing towards the darkness, was the seven adaptors. Their stances and expressions, shoulder to shoulder, determined and battle ready, were clearly based on the footage of them back when they faced Shem-Ha’s Coffin at Lake Vostok. Miku, who had not been there, was inserted between Hibiki and Tsubasa. Each girl glowed with the same light as the city and people they stood protecting, pushing back against the darkness slithering towards them.

“Woah,” Kirika said in a stunned voice.

Qiao laughed a little. “Yeah, that was my reaction too. Here, pass it around.” She held the phone out for one of them to take. Kirika snatched it up first, bringing it up close to her face to scrutinize all the little details with Shirabe before passing it to Hibiki and Miku. Those two gave it a few moments look, glancing between the image and each other in some kind of quiet conversation before handing it to Chris.

Even Chris had to admit as she looked down at the image, she was impressed. It was a spectacular drawing. Although, she couldn’t help but wonder… did people really see them that way? She turned to pass it over to Tsubasa and Maria.

“Excuse me.” A new voice asked. The girl’s heads turned to note a slightly overweight man had approached their table. He was looking at Maria, who suddenly had a very bad feeling about what was coming next. “Are you Maria Candazevna Eve?”

Before anyone could reply or even react, Qiao spoke up cheerfully and quite loudly, rising over the hubbub of the crowd. “Yep! She is, along with all the other Symphogear adaptor’s too!” Her hand swept across the table as if presenting them on a stage.

The food court fell silent as heads across all the tables turned in their directions, save for a few undercover SONG agents who had horrified looks upon their faces. The other adaptors, suddenly under the scrutiny of every person in the room, froze like deer in the headlights. All except Maria, who was staring at Qiao with utter disbelief.

Hopping up on her booth seat, Qiao pointed at each girl in turn. “Presenting the global heroes, the Symphogear Adaptors! Tsubasa Kazanari, Hibiki Tachibana, Chris Yukine, Maria Candazevna Eve, Kirika Akatsuki, Shirabe Tsukuyomi, and Miku Kohinata!”

The adaptors tensed, not sure what Qiao was doing. Was this some kind of double-cross? Had they underestimated the willingness of the Horsemen to sneak in one of their own? Emily had called out to Miku before trying to attack. The Horsemen had shown no compunction in going through innocents to get at them. Was Qiao setting them up for a public execution?

Qiao bowed, “And myself, the Chinese pop star Qiao Cai!” She gave a little giggle and then, in a faux-shy manner, said. “You probably don’t know me here in Japan, but I came all the way over because I wanted to meet them! And they agreed!” She straightened up and winked, bringing a finger to her lips. “I kinda wanted to keep it private, but since we’re out in the open now, I guess it’s not fair if others don’t get the chance to meet them as well.”

“Oh no.” Tsubasa whispered to herself. She knew what this was. She had done it a few times herself, on two occasions when out with Maria. But an impromptu publicity stunt!? Now!? Where was her sense of propriety? The swordswoman looked over at Maria and saw the same dawning realization on the pinkette’s face.

That fact was lost on the other adaptors who were viewing Qiao with some cross between astonishment, betrayal, and abject confusion. Chris opened her mouth to ask what the hell she thought she was doing, but she was beaten to it by the Chinese girl turning to her.

“Yukine-senpai! Would you like to say a few words?” She said aloud, offering her hand out. Chris stared at the appendage as if it was going to bite her. Lowering her voice she whispered. “I noticed in the polls you ranked last, so this might be a good opportunity for you to give a better impression.” The Chinese girl winked, as if to say “You’re welcome.”

Chris’s felt her face start to heat up as all the expectant eyes of the room fell upon her. Her mouth snapped shut as she stared back at the sudden audience. She suddenly wanted to hide as a bead of nervous sweat trickled down her forehead. But then, the small part of her that wasn’t put-out by suddenly being the center of attention unprepared was raging.

Qiao noticed Chris’s nervousness. And apparently what she thought was a good solution to it was a confidence boost.

“I’m sure there are plenty of fans of you here!” Qiao continued, glancing out back towards the audience. “Let’s give it up for the Ichaival wielder!”

A series of cheers rose across the court. “Oh, what? I can’t hear you! Come on, she needs more support!” The Chinese girl beckoned. The growing crowd cheered even louder and more excitedly. “Now that’s more like it!” Chris would’ve been bemused by how Qiao seemed to be holding her empty soda can like it was a microphone if she wasn’t simultaneously anxious and enraged. 

Maria quickly leaned over to Chris while Qiao’s attention was on the audience, “We are working on a way to get out of here. I’m sure Cai will let you get away with just a few platitudes.”

Chris nodded quickly and, after taking a deep breath to steady herself, climbed to her feet. “U-umm… thank you all… for, uh, your support.” She cringed, absolutely sure she was making a complete fool of herself by the way she was stumbling and stuttering. “W-we never really, ah, want it, but it makes us all so happy.”

“Give the Horsemen hell, Yukine!” Someone shouted. A murmur of agreement and approval spread through the audience. Chris blinked. Well, it was a different sentiment than what she expected, but one she could appreciate.

She graced the guy who called out with a bit of a smile and, channelling the boost in confidence into her voice, said, “Oh, I will.”

“Thank you, Yukine!” Qiao said, glad to see Chris get some of her footing. She opened her mouth to continue when Tsubasa abruptly stood up.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have much more time for you all today!” Tsubasa said apologetically. “I’m sure you appreciate how busy we are. We were barely able to make it today! So we have to be going!”

A mutter of disappointment ran through the audience, but they seemed to accept Tsubasa’s reasoning. The crowd didn’t disperse though. Most of the people were apparently still hoping to get a chance to talk to one of the adaptors, and many had pulled out their phones to take pictures or video to post on social media.

Knowing it wouldn’t be long until the crowd had them pressed in, Tsubasa and Maria quickly ushered the younger adaptors away from their table, quickly joined by several undercover SONG agents who had pushed their way through the audience. A slightly put-off and rather more confused Qiao was pulled down from her improvised stage.

“We’ve got cars inbound.” One of the SONG agents said as the group let themselves be ushered away, much of the crowd following them.

“Wait,” Qiao said, turning in confusion. “We’re not going to Karaoke?”

—

“Tsubasa-” Maria said as the pair of SONG cars pulled up. The hanger-ons had followed them all the way out of the shopping center and everyone could guess that it wouldn’t be long before actual media, or worse, Horsemen assassins, started showing up. If they weren’t already lurking around that is.

But the Swordswoman guessed Maria’s intentions. “I’ll ride with Yukine, you handle Qiao.”

“Handle me?” Qiao asked, still a bit lost. “What’s the problem? Did I do something wrong?”

“Whatever.” Chris grumbled at the same time, shooting Qiao a glare. The Chinese idol flinched back at the other girl’s expression.

“We’ll go with Maria!” Kirika said quickly, raising her hand. Shirabe nodded next to her.

They separated, heading towards each car, but Hibiki paused and called out an uncertain voice. “Qiao…”

The Chinese girl stopped and looked back at her. Hibiki thought about how to say what was on her mind in the nicest way possible, but couldn’t. This entire debacle was entirely Qiao’s fault, so she couldn’t ameliorate her by saying ‘it’s not your fault.’ At the same time, she wasn’t sure how to say as much without alienating the other girl. Finally, the Gungnir user said “Nevermind.” and turned to get in the car.

Qiao tilted her head slightly in confusion, but an insistent tug on her by one of the agents reminded her that others were waiting. She quietly took her seat, getting in last after Maria.

An awkward silence hung in the vehicle for the longest time as the door shut and it pulled away from the curb. Qiao stared at Maria and the Zababa duo, neither of whom were willing to meet her gaze.

“You blew it!” Kirika suddenly shouted. For a moment it looked like the blonde was going to throw a punch but Shirabe quickly placed a restraining hand on her shoulder, although the Shul-Shagana user also coupled it with her own disapproving look towards the Chinese idol.

“What?” Qiao said, starting to get a little angry. “What are you all getting upset about?”

“You made Chris-senpai uncomfortable!” Kirika exclaimed, throwing her hands up. “This was supposed to be a fun outing!”

“I didn’t know she got stage fright! I tried to coach her!” Qiao shot back, really getting upset now.

Kirika gaped for a moment before putting on a scowl that would have made Chris proud. “Stage fright?! Didn’t you watch the press conference?!”

“Of course I watched it!” Qiao snapped. “She was being pressured, but she held herself up well enough until that one dipshit mentioned the kid from Val Verde. She wasn’t remotely being pressured like that here!”

“She had prepared for the press conference.” Not adequately, but Kirika decided not to mention that factoid.

Shirabe nodded, maintaining her slight glare at Qiao. “You put her on the spot.”

“Kirika, Shirabe, enough.” Maria cut-in with a tone that brooked no argument. “Cai obviously doesn’t understand.”

Qiao turned at that. “ What?” She said in a flat tone.

Maria didn’t answer directly, instead she turned to level her own scrutinizing stare at the Chinese idol. “Why did you agree to become a Symphogear adaptor?”

Qiao stared back. “What?”

Kirika couldn’t resist the opportunity. “Say ‘what’ again. I dare you.”

Maria shot the Igalima user a quick reprimanding glare. She had caught the reference. Now, Kirika knew that the pinkette was going to have words with Shirabe and her later about what movies they had been watching recently. Kirika figured it was worth it.

Shirabe ignored the silent exchange,narrowing her eyes at Qiao. “It sounds like you did it because you want to be famous.”

“No!” Qiao shouted, then paused and after some more consideration continued. “I mean... sure, I figure that’s also going to happen, and I’m not one to shy away from it. But it’s more of a side-benefit than anything else.”

“So then what was that back there?” Shirabe asked. “What were you trying to do?”

“Well, I was thinking about how unfairly the media treated some of you at the press conferences.” Qiao said, “And maybe it’d be better if you got the opportunity to interact with the public. So they can better understand your thoughts and feelings directly, without some reporter twisting them with a narrative, and you could get a sense for how they feel about you. Getting recognized in public is a great chance to do something like that. That’s why idols do it. Is it different for heroes?”

Maria pressed a pair of fingers to her temple as she took a deep breath. How to phrase this so Qiao would get it? “Cai, only Tsubasa and I are really used to being in the public eye. The rest of us… well, you saw what Chris was like? Had you put, say, Miku in the same position then her reaction would have been similar. They are still learning how to handle the attention, not just what to do with it.”

“Oh…” Qiao bodily twisted around, squinting out the tinted rear window at the other car that Chris was in. “I didn’t think about it like that. I just thought…” She trailed off, resuming her proper sitting posture but she seemed considerably more downcast. “I… I guess I really fucked up, huh?”

Kirika eyed the Chinese girl for a moment before she finally nodded. “As long as you realize it.”

“Recognizing you made a mistake is the first step to fixing it.” Shirabe added, her tone considerably more gentle now that Cai was showing some genuine remorse.

“Yeah,” Qiao’s head lifted a little and she again glanced out the back window. “I guess it is.”

—

Initially, Qiao didn’t get the chance. When the cars pulled back into the pier the SONG submarine was docked, Chris didn’t waste any time in dodging the Chinese idol and racing aboard the submarine in a huff. Hibiki and Miku both gave Qiao an apologetic smile when they saw the Chinese girl watch the Ichaival user swiftly depart with a guilty look on her face. It was only a few moments later that Yoshigara appeared, taking Qiao to task for pulling an “unauthorized publicity stunt” that “represented a tremendous security risk” and “whose nature took no account of the participants’ willingness or feelings.“

Chris departed the submarine and returned to her apartment as soon as she could, where she spent the rest of the day fuming to her parents. The only thing preventing her from getting too mad, though, was the memory of support from the audience and the funny feeling that had given her.

She intended to spend the next day alone, sorting out her feelings. The award ceremony was in a few days and she couldn’t go to it still all wound up in anger at Qiao. It was something of a surprise then, when late in the morning, the doorbell rang. Glancing through the peephole, the Ichaival user felt her blood start to boil again as she spotted the Chinese girl there, shifting on her feet. Chris contemplated just leaving her there, but a deep breath and second glance at the girl’s nervous features convinced her to open the door.

The moment she did so, Qiao practically threw herself prostrate at Chris’s feet in a classic kowtow. “Yukine-senpai, I’m sorry! Please forgive me!”

Somewhat taken aback by the grovelling, Chris glanced across the street where the handful of tabloid reporters were always camping out opposite of her apartment. They had their cameras up and taking pictures, but fortunately seemed to be adequately deterred by the blacksuited Chinese MSS agents standing by the car parked between them and the door, daring the reporters to try and cross the street.

“Get up and get in here!” Chris snapped hurriedly, not giving the other young woman any real chance to react before she physically hauled her into the foray. “What are you doing here?”

Qiao didn’t quite meet her gaze. “I’m flying back to China this afternoon. And I didn’t want to leave without at least trying to apologize for yesterday.”

“Alright! Alright! I get it!” Chris said. She glanced aside, trying to figure out how to respond. “Well, I hear your apology. I don’t know if I can accept it just yet.” She recalled the one member of the audience who had shouted at her to give the Horsemen hell. “But, I’ll allow that it wasn’t entirely bad... I guess.”

“I see.” Qiao sounded a bit relieved at that. “I, erm… I already told the others this, but if you’re ever in Shanghai, please don’t be afraid to call.”

Chris looked at Qiao for a moment, debating precisely how to reply. Finally she settled on a non-committal. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Thanks. That’s all I ask.” Qiao opened the door to leave. But she paused to glance back and offered one last smile. “And if you ever need advice on how to handle attention, just ask the commander for my email address. I’m always happy to help.”

Chris blinked in slight confusion at that but before she could work up a response, Qiao was gone. The silver-haired girl shook her head in bemusement. Surely, Qiao knew that she wanted that, she’d go to Maria or Tsubasa, right? But maybe this was her way of making up to Chris?

She sighed. She figured she’d have to come to terms with it eventually. Maybe once she had finished sorting everything out with Komichi, she’d try to figure out how she could actually live with being a public figure.

\----

“It looks like the Horsemen are preparing for a move against Suitenu next.”

Shinji raised an eyebrow at his elder brother’s abrupt statement as he leaned back in his office chair. There had been no preamble and none of the standard prefacing. The idea of their youngest and least involved sibling being struck clearly agitated Souji.

“To fulfill their end of the bargain with Jwa, presumably.” Shinji muttered. “What’s the basis for this information?”

“I assigned security for him from the clan just before you departed for Panau.” Souji answered. “They caught what we believe to be a Fifth Seal member canvassing the club, but he bit down on a cyanide capsule before we could interrogate him.“

Shinji sat back, considering that information. The Fifth Seal worked in cells, so undoubtedly that man wasn’t the sole member of the Horsemen to conduct surveillance of the club Suitenu ran. Sure, it could have just been a repeat of the Tachibana or Kohinata house where they were just supposed to monitor until further notice.

But then they had been a lot more distant with surveilling those two until Souji noticed the Horsemen’s bugs. Active canvassing of a location was indicative of a much more imminent raid. “I’ll move some SONG agents into position as well.” Shinji answered. “And inform the girls to be ready to move if the Horsemen do strike there.”

\----

“Shirabe. We have a terrible problem.” Kirika said, her voice as serious as the grave as she studied the papers in front of her.

Shirabe paused, swallowing the piece of eggroll she had been chewing on before replying. “What is it, Kiri-chan?”

“Our place is too small to make all the preparations for the party!” Kirika lamented, splaying herself across the canteen table on top of the top secret documents she had assembled to plan the party. “I kept trying to adjust everything and I simply can’t make it all fit! I even made spreadsheets, and that was really hard!”

“Well, there is nothing for it I suppose.” Shirabe said, putting her fork down. “We’ll have to find somewhere out of the dorms, then.”

Kirika sighed, sitting back up. “Yeah. I guess normally we’d go straight for senpai, but…”

“Too exposed now, with our identities in the open.” Shirabe said sadly. “Hibiki and Miku’s?”

“They do have the space…” Kirika thought about it for a few moments then finally shook her head. “But it feels wrong to impose on their lovenest for something that isn’t for them. And we can’t do it at Maria’s. It’d ruin the surprise!”

Shirabe popped another eggroll into her mouth and chewed as she turned over the problem in her head. Finally she swallowed and asked. “Doesn’t that just leave Tsubasa-senpai’s?”

Kirika blinked, looking down at her party notes. “That’s… a really good idea! It's supposedly a party for Tsubasa, after all, and she’s got a big mansion that’s almost like a castle, not to mention Maria’s already really used to the place.” Kirika’s sunny smile caused Shirabe’s heart to skip a beat. “We just gotta ask her!”

“Well, she’s still onboard and very punctual about eating lunch. If we want to ask her, then the opportunity to do so should be right about-” Shirabe glanced up at the digital clock over the door. “-now.”

Right on cue, the door slid open and Tsubasa stepped into the cafeteria. The bluenette paused as she noticed Kirika waving at her frantically, her gaze glancing between the canteen’s spread and the pair of kouhais. After a moment of internal debate, she turned and approached the two. “Akatsuki, Tsukuyomi. What’s the matter?”

“Look, senpai.” Kirika yanked up one of the papers up at random. Unfortunately, Tsubasa couldn’t make any heads or tails of a chart labelled ‘Qanty of Streemers vs Qualy of Fun’. Fortunately, she didn’t have to. “We were trying to figure out where to have the party that’s supposedly about you and Chris-senpai getting that medal, but it is really a surprise early birthday party for Maria. Our place is too small, Chris’s is too exposed, and it feels wrong to impose on Miku and Hibiki.”

“And Maria’s place defeats the point of a surprise party.” Tsubasa got the picture. She smiled. “Of course you can use my place.”

“Yes!” Kirika pumped her fist in celebration. “Thanks, senpai!”

“Let me go get my lunch first, then we can work out the details.” Tsubasa said before walking off towards the line. Shirabe smiled slightly as she returned her attention to her own lunch, determined to finish up before Tsubasa returned to chat.

“That was a really good idea, Shirabe!” Kirika said as she attempted to reorganize her papers, if one were generous with their definitions of ‘attempt’ and ‘reorganize’. “You know, Maria and Tsubasa are really close, I wonder if-”

Shirabe looked up when Kirika stopped talking. The blonde’s smile was frozen on her face as she stared down at one piece of paper. But the smile had changed, taking on a brittle character that Shirabe recognized all too well. Then it vanished as Kirika started to tremble, her stare becoming vacant, and tears started to prick at the corner of her eyes.

“Kiri-chan!” In an instant, Shirabe abandoned her food to dash around the table. “What’s wrong?! Please, talk to me!”

“I-I messed up.” Kirika muttered, her voice hitching as the tears began streaming down her face. “There’s no way that’s right. It’s too little for… too little time for-” The blonde interrupted herself as she began to sob.

As she wrapped Kirika up in a hug, Shirabe glanced down at the sheet of paper. It took a moment for her to comprehend it through Kirika’s handwriting and sloppy grammar. The title of the sheet was ‘Time to Prepare Everything’. Tables with names and numbers were scrawled messily across it. But Shirabe couldn’t pick out what was wrong.

Her attention was torn away as Kirika managed to sputter out, “We won’t be able to get everything ready in time! I screwed up the math on how much time it would all take! It’s all ruined!”

“It’s okay.” Shirabe replied. “I’m sure we can just modify and cut some things, we’ll be able to-”

“No!” Kirika shouted. “It would be just some sub-par celebration then! This is Maria’s birthday! I… it… we...” She fell off into incoherency, simply crying.

Shirabe was completely lost at that, fear mixing with her confusion. Sure, she knew Kirika took people’s birthdays extremely seriously. But she didn’t take them so seriously as to just completely lose it like she was now. A screw-up in timing shouldn’t have her breaking down like this.

Except it probably wasn’t just the screw up in timing, Shirabe realized.

“Akatsuki!”

Shirabe looked up at the surprised exclamation, Tsubasa had returned with a tray of food on her hand and was clearly shocked by Kirika’s state. The swordswoman swiftly dropped her tray on the table and leaned over the two.

“What’s wrong?! What happened?!”

Kirika didn’t answer, simply burying her face in Shirabe’s arms. That left it up to Shirabe to reply. “She’s upset because she underestimated how much time it would take to get ready for Maria’s party.” She looked back down at the offending piece of paper. “Or… at least that was the trigger.”

“What?” Tsubasa blinked, her eyes drifting over to the sheet. She picked it up, squinting as she slowly picked her way across the columns. “But this assumes only two people are working on the project. With the help of my staff, we could get it done even faster than what is written on here.” 

Kirika lifted her head at that, her face red and eyes swollen. Blinking through the tears, she said. “Really?”

“Would they be willing?” Shirabe asked.

“They would be quite happy to help.” Tsubasa reassured them. “They tend to be quite enthusiastic when it comes to Maria, for some reason.”

Kirika nodded, accepting that answer, but there was a listlessness in the action and her face remained downcast.

“Come on, Kiri-chan. Let’s get some rest.” Shirabe gently tugged on her girlfriend, who offered no resistance as the two got up. The Shul-Shagana wielder glanced over at Tsubasa. “We’ll come back to you later today to firm up the details.”

Tsubasa hesitated, reluctant to let her kouhai go off alone when they were clearly in need.

“We’ll stay on the sub.” Shirabe promised her.

At that Tsubasa relented and gave her a slow nod. Shirabe took Kirika out of the canteen and into the submarine’s corridors, guiding her to the aquarium area and the couches laid out in front of it like a lounge. The two took a seat there alone, Shirabe resting the despondent Kirika’s head atop her lap.

“Shirabe, I’m sorry.” Kirika finally whispered.

“What for?”

Kirika didn’t answer, simply turning on her side to look out into the aisle. Quietly, Shirabe began to stroke the scythe wielder’s hair.

“You’re so good to me, Shirabe. Better than I deserve.” Kirika muttered sleepily, Shirabe frowned sharply at that but said nothing. Distantly, the blonde reflected that crying was quite an exhausting activity as she drifted off.

Shirabe continued stroking the sleeping blonde’s head for a few moments before sighing. The signs that Kirika’s depressive relapse was still ongoing had been all there, but Shirabe had allowed herself to hope that it’d gone away by now. Some girlfriend she was. 

The twin-tailed girl bit her lip in frustration. Dammit it all! She had spent every opportunity she could. Going places, spending time together, doing fun things, all too cheer Kirika up, to get her out of this funk the Horsemen’s highlighting of her lack of a past had put her in. Kirika had seemed to take well enough to it, but this incident showed quite clearly that it wasn’t enough. And still she hadn’t told Shirabe anything about the suicide letter she supposedly had. What could Shirabe do?

Inspiration struck Shirabe like lightning. Words alone might not be able to help Kirika understand how much she was worth. But then, it wasn’t as if her words and embrace were the only things she had to work with. Shirabe would have to go beyond words, with something she knew could connect people. That she knew she could do. Even if it required a bit of help.

Careful not to disturb the napping Kirika, Shirabe grabbed up her phone, searching for a certain number. She had a text to make.

—

Kawada shifted in her seat at the diner. Not because she was nervous, no way. She certainly was not still frightened by Shirabe Tsukuyomi nor by the prospect of meeting her alone. There was no way the girl had learned about any of her own plans, which she had shared with no one and were not written down. Kawada certainly did not have visions of the smaller girl in her Symphogear coldly and methodically peeling her skin away layer-by-layer with those buzzsaws or that razor yo-yo for daring to plot to betray them and harm her, her girlfriend, and her mother/big sister figure.

And maybe if she looked out the window, she’d be able to marvel at all the flying pigs. The red head scowled. Why, oh why, did Tsukuyomi have to send her that text right after Kawada watched a video of her tearing through Horsemen soldiers?

Instead, she brought her cup of loose tea to her mouth. Aimi didn’t like the extra bitterness, but Kawada always asked for her loose tea to be brewed a bit long. It never failed to help soothe her nerves. She drank deeply and sighed in satisfaction. That did help. All was right with the world.

“Iwa-san.” Shirabe spoke up from where she stood next to the table.

Kawada practically leapt out of her seat, spilling more than a bit of tea on the table. “EE-!”

Her shriek barely began before it was cut off by a hand slapping over her mouth. Shirabe had swiftly leaned forward to do that, a finger held up to her lips as she shushed Kawada. “Don’t scream. It might draw attention. Kiri-chan and I were recognized while shopping once, and we had to have SONG help us escape the crowds. Understood?”

Kawada stiffly and quietly nodded. Shirabe sighed in relief and released the taller girl before sitting down across from her. As the Shul-Shagana user took her seat and removed her ‘Ultra-Spy Glasses’, Kawada grabbed napkins and tried to wipe up her spilled tea.

“So, Ts-Tsukuyomi…” Kawada hoped her smile was genuine enough. “What can I help you with?”

Shirabe sat there for a moment in silence with her usual impenetrable expression. It took Kawada a moment to realize that the twin-tailed girl was actually staring at a spot just to the redhead’s left.

“It’s about Kiri-chan.” Shirabe finally said, “I… actually, I guess I should thank you. It’s partly because of your help that she’s been better recently.”

Kawada bit her lip and glanced away, suddenly not able to look the adaptor in the eye. “You… you’re welcome, I guess?”

Shirabe sighed. “Outside of my usual circle of friends, I’m not good with people. I get a little jealous of Kiri-chan, because getting along with others comes so easily to her. But sometimes, her cheerfulness is a mask that hides her own pain.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Kawada asked.

“Kiri-chan is better, but she still isn’t well.” Shirabe explained. “She… had a breakdown recently…”

She trailed off, suddenly uncomfortable with elaborating further. She had gone as far as she was willing too. But Kawada could take a guess. She had read the leaked psychological profiles, along with everything else. If anything, hanging out with her these short few weeks had shown her how much the report had downplayed Kirika’s mental troubles. And she still had in her mind that gut-wrenching day in the restroom, when she made Kirika turn into a pathetic wreck with mere words.

Kawada was torn. A part of her, the part that was starting to seem strange in how caught up it was with vengeance for Katai, was crowing in triumph. But the rest was berating her for tearing down such an earnest girl. Through the emotional dissonance, all she could finally get out was a lame. “I’m sorry.”

Shirabe tilted her head slightly in acknowledgement of the apology, although Kawada couldn’t fail to notice the lack of any explicit acceptance of it. “I want to get to the root of her distress. And I think I figured out a way. But I need your help.”

“Mine?” Kawada asked puzzled.

“Yes.” Shirabe said. “I recall you mentioned that you took an elective in recording?”

\----

Maria tapped her foot restlessly on her penthouse’s living room floor as she listened to the phone ring. She honestly didn’t spend much time here, usually preferring either to be with Tsubasa at the Kazanari estate or at SONG headquarters working with Ogawa on tracking the Horsemen. With Kirika and Shirabe living in the Lydian dorms, the place could feel very lonely if she spent too much time here.

Yet Maria needed to sleep somewhere more comfortable than a submarine cabin if she was to get a decent night’s rest. She couldn’t burden Tsubasa with that yet, even if she did hope to one day work up the nerve to tell the swordswoman what she felt. In her more dramatic moments, she even fantasized about combining her confession with a marriage proposal. Then reality would assert itself and Maria would realize that while Tsubasa might accept a confession, a confession and proposal all at once would likely be too much for her to handle.

But despite the temptation, the day when she could overcome this remaining weakness had not yet arrived.

With a click, the phone stopped ringing and a recently familiar voice answered. “Kazanari residence.”

“Hello, Kondo.” Maria greeted.

“Oh, Maria-ojou-sama. Are you calling for Kazanari-sama?”

“If it’s not too much trouble.”

“I’m sure it isn’t at all. Let me transfer you.” There was a click as Kondo transferred the line. The phone started to ring again, but didn’t even reach the second tone before it was answered.

“Maria?” Tsubasa’s voice cut in. “Is everything alright?”

“Of course.” Maria answered. “I just wanted to check in with you to make sure everything is alright with you.”

“It is. Kirika and Shirabe were by today, making preparations for tomorrow with my staff. Right now, I’m in my office.”

Maria’s eyes narrowed as she double checked the clock. “You’re not still working, are you?”

“There’s just some discrepancies with some of the businesses from when the foundation was under my grandfather. I have to make sure they are not still engaged in dubious-”

“Tsubasa.” Maria cut the swordswoman’s objections off. “What image do you think you’ll present tomorrow if you run yourself ragged fussing over the Foundation? You need to prepare for that, not something that you can still do afterwards. Those discrepancies will still be there.”

“It’s just a medal.” Tsubasa objected.

“It’s an honor. And one which we will be expected to look good for.” Maria said. “Treat it like you did one of our concerts or those variety shows.”

“Those were usually Ogawa’s idea.” Tsubasa muttered.

“Yet you still gave it your all to prepare for them, didn’t you?” Maria’s statement was met with a long silence before Tsubasa sighed. She heard the scrape of a chair from the swordswoman standing up.

“Okay Maria, I’ll make sure to take a break for tonight.” She said, “Will you be coming to pick me up tomorrow?”

“Of course. Then Chris and Ayano.”

“I guess I’ll see you then.” Tsubasa paused for a moment but before Maria could return the farewell said. “And Maria?”

Maria blinked, tilting her head in curiosity a little. “Hm?”

“Happy Birthday.”

Still confused, Maria asked. “That isn’t until the day after?”

“I know. But I didn’t want anyone else to say it before me.” Tsubasa said. The tone she used made Maria’s heart flutter, and she could practically picture the bluenette’s smile.

Maria turned red, stammered out a goodbye, and hung up. This accursed unfeminine sword wasn’t any good for her heart!

\----

“What’s taking her so long?” Tsubasa muttered, glancing at her watch. “We’re going to miss the ferry.”

Maria grinned at her cheekily from the driver's seat. “Why, it’s just a medal isn’t it?”

Tsubasa shot the pinkette a flat look which informed Maria just how much the swordswoman thought about having her words last night reiterated at her. The Airgetlamh wielder giggled in response. “Relax, Tsubasa. We have plenty of time.” The smile disappeared from her face as she leaned forward to glance up at the apartment building they were parked in front of. “And Chris needs every bit of support she can get.”

Three stories up, Chris took a breath and straightened her summer SONG uniform tie before ringing the doorbell. According to military formality, medal ceremonies were supposed to be attended by uniformed personnel in their service dress uniforms. The girls SONG uniforms were the closest thing they had to do that. She didn’t know what they’d do if they wound up attending an event which required a full dress uniform, for which SONG had no equivalent. Probably just wear some formal dresses.

On second thought, that actually sounded rather nice, although she’d rather die than admit it out loud. But on the other hand, given the inherent aura, it might be a bit amusing to show up in their ‘combat uniforms’ to such an event.

Chris thrust such idle thoughts out of her mind and turned her concerns to the more immediate issue of Komichi. When inviting the brunette, Chris had told herself this was a means of trying to help her adjust to the fact the Ichaival wielder was an adaptor. But the truth was, Chris really had no idea what she was doing. She was mostly running off the Hibiki Tachibana playbook because it was the only one she knew. But there was a lot said playbook didn’t cover. Maybe she should have asked the Professor for his advice, just for a second opinion.

Although one thing she did know for sure: this was not the time to confess her epiphany to Komichi. Even leaving aside the issue of whether Komichi returned her feelings, Chris knew there would be no way Komichi, given her current timidity, would react to that other than by freaking out and running away again. Chris just hoped that wouldn’t be an excuse to put it off forever.

The door opened and Chris’s train of thought came screeching to an abrupt halt as she took in the shy-girls. Komichi had told Chris she would “try not to shame Yukine with my appearance.” Chris hadn’t thought much of those words, writing them off as just part of that awkward formal tone she still insisted on using around her.

It didn’t occur to her that Komichi might have meant ‘I’ll dress myself up so much, you’ll actually find it rather distracting.’ The brunette had swapped her usual yellow braid for a bow, similar to what Miku usually wore. She didn’t use a lot of make-up, but the small amount she had used naturally faded in with her skin. But the real killer was the dark red, almost burgundy, empire waist evening dress she wore.

‘Oh yeah, I have it bad.’ Chris thought as she felt her cheeks begin to heat-up. She had never seen Komichi dress up so formally before and, aware of her feelings for the brunette, the Ichaival user found it incredibly alluring.

Unfortunately, Komichi seemed to take Chris’s stare the wrong way. “Oh, I look awful, don’t I?”

“No!” Chris blurted out quickly. “In fact, it’s great!” She scratched at her cheek in some embarrassment. “I’m actually kinda suddenly wondering if I’m a bit underdressed for this.”

Komichi shook her head. “Not at all! If you just…” Absently she reached up and made a minute adjustment to Chris’s uniform tie-scarf. “There. You look really great, Yukine.” Abruptly, the girl paled in realization at what she just did. “I’m sorry! That was improper of me and-”

“Komichi.” Chris said gently. “You didn’t do anything wrong, okay?”

Komichi blushed and nodded, averting her eyes slightly. Chris suppressed a sigh and instead stepped aside to let her make her way out. “Come on, senpai and Maria are waiting for us in the car.”

She took a few steps before realizing that Komichi wasn’t following. Turning back, Chris found that the brunette had frozen in front of the door, her expression one of shock. “Maria-sama and Kazanari-sama are here?”

“Oh no, you don’t.” Chris said sharply, then immediately regretted it as Komichi flinched. Forcing her voice to be more gentle, the Ichaival wielder continued. “You knew they’d be coming.”

“I thought I’d have more time to prepare myself for it.” Komichi admitted, pressing her fingers together nervously.

Chris tilted her head slightly in confusion. “How long?”

Komichi glanced away again. “Until we reach the ferry?”

“Look, you met them at the concert. Behind the idol act and powers, they’ve got problems just like you and me. Maria’s a drama queen who's really a big softy, something that she’s excessively hard on herself about. And senpai? Well, you should see how her rooms get when she hasn’t had anyone help her clean for more than a few days!”

Komichi didn’t say anything in response to that for a few moments. Finally, Chris said. “Look, if it helps, they’re both sitting up front. It’ll be just me and you in the backseat. Is that okay?”

At that Komichi nodded and finally stepped up to follow the silver-haired girl. Chris sighed. She really did need to help Komichi get adjusted to the others. The Ichaival wielder just hoped the way she was trying to do it was working and that she wasn’t inadvertently hurting Komichi somehow.

—

Laying on the eastern bank of the entrance of Tokyo Bay, Tateyama Airbase had guarded the approach to Tokyo since the 1930s under a variety of both American and Japanese forces. Its location had been chosen out of awareness of the threat posed by the White Noise Squad: it was thought to be far away enough from Tokyo and secure enough that a ground assault would easily be detected. Yet it was also still close enough that the JMSDF helicopter squadrons stationed there would be able to rapidly deploy the adaptors should a crisis requiring their attention arise.

Komichi had been visibly nervous the whole ride over despite insisting that she wasn’t uncomfortable whenever Chris asked. Kirika, Hibiki, Tsubasa, and Maria had all made attempts to engage with her, but she had acted almost deer-like in her skittishness, frequently darting to hide behind Chris, who could only give her friends apologetic smiles and Komichi encouraging words. She made no effort to initiate a conversation, despite some encouragement from Chris, sticking to the Ichaival wielder like a fawn terrified of the new world she had suddenly been brought into.

Suffice to say, Chris was well past wondering if she had made a terrible mistake by the time they arrived at the airbase. Across the airbase, a few fighter jets parked by one particular hanger caught her eye.

It was a peculiar aircraft that caused Chris to pale slightly. The fighter had an image of her in her Symphogear armor painted on its nose, aiming her revolver in the same direction the aircraft faced. But what really caused Chris to worry were the big, clearly visible words ‘MegaDeth’ scrawled right over her likeness.

‘Oh no, the contagion has gone global.’ Chris thought.

Unfortunately, Hibiki spotted it at the same time. “Woah! That’s a neat image of you Chris. Very anime-esque. Although why is your name in English? Meh-gu De-th.” Hibiki slowly pronounced out loud. Then she paused and continued. “Wait, Chris, why does it say MegaDeth instead of your actual name?”

Chris simply cringed and blushed, resolutely keeping her eyes forward and prayed Hibiki wouldn’t make the connection. But apparently, the universe was feeling a bit spiteful today because she could feel the mirth roll off the Gungnir user. With a mischievous smile, she asked “Wait, was that what they nicknamed you down in Panau? How did that happen? Did you list them-OW!”

Acutely aware that slugging the Gungnir wielder across the head in front of all the military personnel would not look good, Chris opted for the much more subtle sharp jab in the side to shut her best friend up.

“I think it’s kind of cool.” Komichi said softly, the first words she had uttered on her own initiative. Chris blushed even harder at that and also opted to glare harder when Hibiki shot her a cheeky grin.

“Of course.” Tsubasa remarked slyly, “You should have seen her when I first heard-”

“They nicknamed senpai ‘Samurai’!” Chris interrupted quickly, deciding that if she was going down she was going to take Tsubasa with her. The bluenette’s smirk froze in a rictus of horror as everyone’s attention turned to her with varying degrees of amazement or amusement. A mischievous grin spread across Maria’s face.

“Well, that’s very fitting,” The pinkette said. “Tsubasa does cut a very classically gallant and noble figure, does she not?”

“Maria!” Tsubasa very much didn’t whine in embarrassment. There was no way she ever would. She was above such things, after all.

—

The ceremony was held in an auditorium on the base specifically set aside for such occasions. The adaptors and their guests, which amounted to the two Ogawa brothers and Komichi, sat in the front row of the audience. The exceptions were Chris and Tsubasa, whose chairs were positioned up on the stage within jumping distance of where their friends sat. General Shaw and the announcer, a Marine major judging by the insignia, also sat up on the stage, although their seats were positioned on the opposite side of the podium on which the medals rested. Five banners were draped along the wall at the back of the stage: the American and Japanese flags as well as the Marine Corps, SONG, and United Nations insignias.

The rest of the audience seats were occupied by a mix of a Marine honor guard, JSDF personnel, some American and Japanese politicians, and their families. None of the adaptors failed to notice the way the children in the audience pointed and whispered excitedly at the girls as they entered, even more so whenever Hibiki and Kirika waved back in response to some of them. That quickly became a bit of a game between the two adaptors and the children, with the former constantly trying to catch if the latter were looking at them, until Miku and Shirabe gently but firmly informed their girlfriends that it was almost time for the event to start. In the back of the audience chambers, the media had set up their video cameras to capture the event.

At an unseen signal, General Shaw and the major rose to their feet and moved over to the podium. The major stood behind the podium and quietly passed Shaw the first of the two Silver Stars. Then he quietly raised one of his hands in a shushing motion to gain the audience’s attention.

“If Adaptor Chris Yukine would report for attention.” He called in a booming and professional voice into the microphone.

Forcibly reminding herself this wasn’t like the press conference, Chris rose to her feet and walked up to stand a few steps away from the general and pivoted to face the audience. The posture she adopted wasn’t strictly ‘at attention’ in the military sense of the word, it was more relaxed then that while still maintaining a great deal of formality and respect. She wasn’t required to stand stiffly with her heels straight and chin up like a soldier, but the Ichaival user very well understood it would be completely inappropriate for her to do something like slouch. Otherwise, she kept her features studiously neutral.

“Attention to orders.” The major began, reading off the citation. “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity against enemy forces while serving as part of the Squadron Of Nexus Guardian’s FG-Type Special Equipment Unit attached to the Second Marine Expeditionary Force, Second Marine Division on Twenty-One July, Two Thousand Forty-Five in support of Operation Thunderball. Immediately after deploying in response to the detection of alchemical technology, Adaptor Chris Yukine unhesitatingly counter-attacked an overwhelming hostile mechanized assault forces supported by heavy artillery.”

Some slight disbelief seeped into the major's otherwise proficient voice as he continued to read. “Over the course of the day, under direct fire or observation from the enemy, Adaptor Yukine was involved in nearly one thousand significant events, to include: six-hundred thirty-five direct fire engagements, two-hundred seventy-three indirect fire attacks, and more than one hundred attempts to overrun her position or the positions of Marine forces which she was supporting. Her efforts resulted in an estimated excess of ten thousand enemy personnel neutralised, six hundred and sixty-three enemy armored vehicles or artillery pieces destroyed, and fifty-three hardened strongpoints destroyed. In doing so, she saved countless Marine lives and rescued multiple units under threat of annihilation by her bold initiative, undaunted judgement, and unstinting heroism. Adaptor Yukine reflected great credit upon herself and rendered invaluable assistance to the US Marine Corps and US Naval Services. Therefore, General Thomas Shaw, on behalf of the President of the United States, now present the Silver Star for gallantry in action to Adaptor Yukine.”

In spite of her ambivalence towards the whole concept, Chris couldn’t help but offer a slight smile of pride as she listened to the praise. The memories that came to her mind weren’t the shattered and bloody bodies of the Horsemen’s staples or the obliterated, but the faces of the Marines she had assisted, whose expressions she recalled went from awe to hope to determined inspiration. When the major finished, Chris let the silence hold for a moment and then stepped back to turn to face General Shaw as she had been instructed to do so.

The general stepped up to her, closing the remaining distance. “Didn’t think the bureaucracy would go for giving you a Silver Star.“ He said quietly as he reached up and began pinning the award just above her left breast. “Otherwise I would have recommended it for you in a heartbeat.”

“You know I don’t do it for recognition, right?” Chris asked respectfully.

“Oh, I know.” Shaw smiled. “But isn’t it at least nice to have some?”

Chris thought about that for a moment. “Well, I guess I won’t turn it down.”

Shaw just chuckled as he finished pinning the medal and offered his hand. Chris took it and noticed with some pleasure as the general's eyes widened in surprise at the strength of her grip, although the pleasure was muted when the thought briefly crossed her mind whether her progress towards Sumphonia was enough for that to be a factor. After the handshake, the general saluted.

Chris had been told she didn’t have to return it, but the atmosphere of the formality got to her so she did so anyways. Quietly, the general ended his salute and stepped back, which was Chris’s signal to return to her seat. As she did so, she glanced over at her friends sitting up front in the audience. Hibiki and Kirika both flashed her a thumbs-up, Shirabe and Miku smiled in support, and Maria nodded approvingly. But Komichi had her hands clasped together, a look of amazement and awe in her eyes. When she noticed Chris looking over, the brunette abruptly flinched, and dropped her gaze with a blush. Chris felt her heart ache a little at that.

Tsubasa noticed. As Chris sat back down next to her, the swordswoman reached up and patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Yukine. She’ll come around.”

Chris simply responded with a noncommittal hum.

“If Adaptor Tsubasa Kazanari would report for attention.” The major called.

“Good luck, senpai.” Chris muttered as Tsubasa rose to her feet and crossed the stage to stand facing the audience, as Chris had done before.

“Attention to orders.” The Major began, reading once again. “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity against enemy forces while serving as part of the Squadron Of Nexus Guardian’s FG-Type Special Equipment Unit attached to the Second Marine Expeditionary Force-”

Tsubasa caught the faint sound of what seemed to be a distant whistle, rapidly growing in volume and pitch. It was as if the very wind was warning her of something. It took her another moment to place the noise. Only the adaptors and the two Ogawa’s noticed the swordswoman stiffen in a very familiar way. It was enough for them to tense themselves, already prepared to follow her lead. But everyone in the room noticed the way her head jerked up in alarm and a mutter of surprise raced across the audience.

“Everybody down now!” Tsubasa screamed, twisting around to body slam into a startled General Shaw, sending both of them to the ground. The other girls - and the Ogawa’s - were likewise already moving, seizing the nearest surprised attendant to them and dragging them to the floor. Chris leapt atop a startled Komichi, who didn’t even have time to shriek. A few of the more quick witted attendants followed suit and dropped to the floor themselves.

An instant later, the room erupted in fire and smoke.

\----

[T-Minus: 7,200]

\----

Next Chapter: A Thousand Suns

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Visquick”, as some of you may have guessed, is a reference to visqi, whose done some amazing Symphogear artwork. Seriously, check them out on pixiv, they’re amazing.
> 
> It was surprisingly difficult to find footage of a silver star award ceremony with actually decent audio quality to use as a reference. I managed though.
> 
> According to a season 1 keyword, ‘Symphogear’ is actually something of a nickname. The actual name of the system is referred to as “FG-Type Revolutionary Specially-Equipped Attire”. I used that to create what the “official” designation of SONG’s Symphogear unit would be.


	22. One Thousand Suns

Distortions  
Chapter 22:  
One Thousand Suns

\----

[T-Minus: 7,195]

Chris lifted her head in a daze. Where was she? Why was it so dark? There was something hard on top of her and something soft below her. Panic set in as she realized she was having trouble moving.

“C-Chris?” The terrified voice of Komichi snapped the Ichaival wielder out of her daze. Everything came rushing back to her: the award ceremony, her exchange with General Shaw, Tsubasa’s sudden warning, the explosion…

Oh shit, they were under attack!

“Komichi!” Chris shouted, her worry chasing away any sense of embarrassment at the realization that she was on top of the brunette. “Are you okay?”

“I… I am fine. But…”

But they were trapped underneath a bunch of rubble, right. Fortunately that was an easy problem for Chris to solve. Closing her eyes, she sang...

_“Killter Ichaival tron.”_

Beneath the silver-haired girl, Komichi’s eyes widened at the holy chant. Her astonishment only intensified as light filled the enclosed pocket of rubble. This was Chris’s Symphogear? It felt surprisingly cool, albeit in a pleasant, comforting way.

Then the light and it's comforting coolness swiftly faded, and Chris wasted no time in leveraging herself up, the previously unmovable rubble giving way easily. She took stock of her surroundings and scowled. The first thing she noticed in the new light was the translucent redness of anti-LiNKER gas. ‘_Of course,_’ Chris throught grimly as she almost instinctively dropped her armor combination in response, ‘_It had to be the fucking Horsemen._’

Turning, she offered her hand to Komichi, who accepted it blankly as if in a daze. Only after Chris had hauled her friend to her feet did she take the moment to examine the surroundings.

The others were already standing up, transformed, pushing rubble off of themselves and likewise hauling the people they had tackled to their feet. The exceptions were the Ogawa brothers, who simply appeared with their bemused guests, no doubt having ducked out with some kind of esoteric ninja trick. But the rest of the room?

Well, there technically wasn’t a room any more: the roof was gone and red-tinted sunlight filtered in through the space. The view around them was little more than rubble, the smoke was thick, and flames licked the wall where cameras had once been. Hibiki was already moving to assist those who were stumbling to their feet with obvious injuries, some so stunned that they didn’t even seem to realize that their arm was bent wrong or that they were limping. But for every moving figure, there seemed to be two or three more who lay unmoving, including some distressingly small figures. And the figures that could be seen represented a fraction of the attendants: who knew how many were crushed beneath the rubble?

From where she stood, Maria opened her mouth to ask if everyone was okay, but a glance at the walking wounded told her that was a stupid question. Her moment's hesitation was interrupted as she heard Tsubasa gasp and turned towards her friend. The swordswoman’s attention was on the floor, such as it was, and Maria followed her gaze.

A single uniformed hand hung limply out of the rubble, the packet with the silver star that was to be awarded to Tsubasa clutched in it and a trickle of blood running down onto an adjacent stone. The Major who had been reading the citations. Tsubasa quickly scrambled down, but before she could finish shoving the rubble out of the way, General Shaw calmly leaned over, checked the pulse on the arm, and stopped the frantic adaptor just before she was about to toss aside the last piece of debris with a hand on her shoulder, and sadly shook his head.

Maria’s heart almost broke as Tsubasa’s expression crumpled. But she was forestalled from offering any comfort by an incoming whistle. The adaptors’ heads snapped upward, their Symphogear-endowed superhuman eyesight peering through the translucent red mist of Anti-LiNKER and making out the shape of several incoming bombs unerringly falling onto them.

In an instant, Chris aimed her crossbow and let loose a torrent of unerringly accurate bolts into the descending bombs. The blast wave that descended upon them was powerful enough that most of the regular humans in the room instinctively raised their arms to shield themselves.

With their attention focused by the threat, the remaining residents of the room could properly notice the sounds that until then had been background noise: the distant chatter of gunfire, shouting, explosions, sirens, battle.

“We’re still under attack!” Maria snapped. She was just about to command Shinji to get people to safety when she abruptly remembered that he was the commander now, ordering him out in the open like this would be improper.

Fortunately, he seemed to have the same idea. “We’ll see everyone here to safety and contact headquarters.”

Komichi barely heard any of it. She just stared. She had thought Chris looked beautiful when singing, but her radiance when she was in her Symphogear in person was positively blinding. And her friends, the other adaptors… they were almost as awe-inspiring.

How could someone like herself ever be worthy to be with someone like _that_?

“Komichi.” Chris said, turning to her. “You better take shelter with the others.”

Having the concern of someone so… so… _angelic _felt like a mental truck rammed into her brain. She couldn’t seem to shake the haze of the aura like the other people in the room were doing. It wasn’t until Souji clamped a hand on her shoulder that the brunette came to her senses.

“We’ll take care of her, Yukine.” The elder Ogawa said. Chris nodded, then she turned and, together with her friends, leapt clear out of the roofless building in a leap no ordinary person could match. As Komichi let herself be shepherded towards the base shelters, she couldn’t help but peer back over her shoulder. If she couldn’t do anything but run away, what right did she have to be Chris’s friend?

Chris’s worry about Komichi took a back seat to the situation before her. Bomb craters were blasted into the runways in a manner that seemed random at first but were clearly directed so as to disable it and every hanger had been hit, as were aircraft parked out in the open. Chris noted the aircraft with her likeness painted on it was shattered, save for the nose with her image which now pointed skyward. The paint was melting under the heat of a nearby fuel fire from a burning tanker truck.

There were also several canisters that had clearly fallen out of the sky laying scattered across the ground, the hissing red mist shooting out of them making clear the source of the lingering Anti-LiNKER. But Chris had more immediate concerns that quickly grabbed her attention. Namely the force of Automen storming across the base towards the adaptors, ignoring the gunfire from base personnel and cutting them down with mechanical ruthlessness with their grasers and coilguns as they advanced.

“Let’s go!” Maria shouted, the music in her heart starting to swell as she launched the counter-charge first.

“_What is true strength? I wander in search of it._” She began as she leapt forward. Airgetlamh unfolded and lashed out, clearing away a crowd of Automen with a sweep of the chainsword. “_To be proud? To make a vow? I still can’t find it.”_

Drawing upon the power of Maria’s song, Chris swapped over to **_Billion Maiden _**and opened fire, watching the Automen jerk and spark as she walked her fire over them. Hibiki used her pile-drivers to fling herself upward and then crash down into the midst of one group of Automen turning to raise their coilguns and grasers after her, fist-first. The Automan she slammed into directly crumpled like a tin can smashed by a boulder and the ones immediately around it shattered into their component pieces.

“It’s the Symphogear adaptors!” One of the base personnel shouted in relief.

Hibiki quickly gave an acknowledging wave and shouted, “We’ll take care of these things! You guys get to cover!”

None of the adaptors contradicted her. Maybe if there were some Staples, the soldiers would be able to fight with them. But against Automen, they’d just be going to their deaths.

“Erm, right! You heard the lady!” One of the SDF soldiers barked at the others. And as one last farewell, he shouted. “Rock on, Tachibana!”

_“I continue to ask the smile in my memories.  
_ _I won’t forget the warmth lingering in my hand.”_

Miku kited left and right to throw off the Automen’s aim, blasting back with Shenshoujing in beams that punched through their armor. Ame No Habakiri flashed as Tsubasa practically danced forward into yet another group, slicing several down with each swing. Then she turned and released a **_Blue Flash _**that tore through one end of the group and kept going into a slightly more distant column of approaching androids moving to reinforce their mechanical colleagues.

_“While lost, confused, and suffering  
_ _I gouge out my sins without running or hiding.  
_ _With my voice, as I am,  
_ _I ask my courage, I strike my resolve.  
_ _This is my holy sword, behold!”_

“How did these guys get in the base without anyone noticing?!” Kirika shouted the question as she sliced through a mechanical monstrosity.

“Maybe they were snuck in?!” Shirabe suggested, jinking to the side just in time to avoid a burst of graser and coilgun fire from a skirmish line of Automen, too spread out for her to cut through with her sawblades in a clean sweep. Instead, she tossed her hands to either side, her razor yoyos extending out. One of the minor surprises she had found when facing them at the Mountain facility was that her yoyos couldn’t cut through the exotic metals the Automen were made out of.

They could, however, effectively entangle them. The yoyos arced wide and curved back around at Shirabe’s deft command, the yoyos extended past either end of the skirmish line before turning inward. The wires constricted, instantly smashing into all of the Automen and bringing them together into a big, twitching clump. Skating in close, a single swipe from Shul-Shagana’s two **_Friction Blades _**were all she needed to finish the job.

_“It’s fine if I’m weak, it’s fine if my tears flow,  
_ _As long as this invincible song stays in my heart._  
_Destiny and the past and grief and memories and love,  
_ _I hold them tight and now I struggle bitterly and stand!”_

As the adaptors fought, they quickly noticed there was something different about these Automen. Two vertical tubes, absent on the ones they had previously fought, extended across their backs. None of the adaptors thought much of it until Shirabe staggered in pain under a connecting barrage of coil gun shots and grasers descending from an unexpected direction: above.

“Shirabe!” Kirika shouted, swivelling her head to follow the violet beams to their source. She quickly spotted the culprits: more Automen fell from the sky and the distant aircraft above, their descent slowed to a manageable speed by columns of fire shooting out of the back-tubes.

“Jetpacks?!” Tsubasa exclaimed, “They’re deploying from the sky!”

Miku and Chris swiftly spun around and levelled their armed gears against the descending group of Automen, quickly reducing them to falling scrap metal in a matter of seconds. But behind them, several much faster, white streaks of fire descended out of the sky, tearing down towards Maria.

“Maria!” Chris shouted in warning as she turned her guns back down towards the Automen on the grounds. ”Missiles!”

She expected Maria, appropriately warned, to deal with the incoming weapons easily enough, and indeed the pinkette darted to the side, out of the path of the missiles’ descent. That should have thrown off most guidance systems, so it was something of a surprise when the missiles smoothly turned to follow Maria’s movements.

_“I found myself and today I carve it in my chest!” _Maria sang, turning and lashing out with Airgetlamh to tear through the barrage of missiles. The blasts of their destruction seemed comprehensive, but one last weapon streaked out of the dust and slammed right into the pinkette. She vanished in dust and smoke for a moment but her body, somewhat scuffed, was launched skyward out of the debris.

“Maria!” Tsubasa screamed.

“I’m good! It just dazed me!” Maria shouted back, flipping around mid-air and continuing her song as she turned to descend on another group of Automen firing up at her. “_That shine which became a cross, what is its meaning?_” Swinging Airgetlamh around, she attached it to the elbow of her gauntlet, facing backward. “_The forgetfulness -OBLIVION- contained in a name, my justice -BLAZE-!_”

As she finished her line, Maria's descent impossibly accelerated. Airgetlamh blasted through the Automen’s barrage of fire and finally the Automen themselves in a final **_SERE†NADE_**. But another barrage of missiles and bombs was descending from the sky, followed by more Automen jetpack-dropping in.

“Yukine, Kohinata!” Tsubasa shouted, as she slid into another group of landing Automen, Ame no Habakiri flashing. “We need point defense!”

“Where are they coming from?!” Miku shouted, following the instructions.

Chris’s eyes narrowed as she swept Billion Maiden skyward, peering past the missiles and the Automen, towards their origins. She picked out the drifting shapes high overhead, leaving contrails in their wake as they twisted and turned. From the smaller ones, the streaks of missiles and more solid ovals of bombs detached from beneath. From the bigger slower ones, box-shapes fell out the back only to split up and flash with the ignition of jet packs.

“Aircraft, ten thousand meters! Looks like multi-role fighters and heavy transports!” Chris swore. “Dammit, they have the high ground!”

“It’s not over!” Hibiki shouted back, as she twisted around a jab from an Automan, seized its arm, and smashed it into one of it’s brethren.

As one, their communicators crackled. “Everyone!” Elfnein’s worried voice came over. “Are you all okay?!”

“We’re engaged with… well, there are a lot of Automen here!” Kirika reported, scything into another group that Shirabe had entangled with her yoyos. “And we’re getting constantly bombed.”

“You’re not the only ones.” Fujitaka grimly informed them. “The Horsemen have launched air and missile strikes at ASDF facilities across the entire Central Air Defense Force Region. Initial losses are reported as extreme. The other regions are scrambling reinforcements, but they’ll take some time.”

“What about civilians?” Shirabe rang back as she continued to fight. “The city’s completely exposed!”

“Air raid alerts have gone off and everybody’s evacuated into the shelters.” Tomosato reported. “They were built for Noise, but they provide protection against conventional ordnance just as well.”

“Shit!” Chris swore as she blasted away another wave of missiles and bombs arching down from the pinpricks in the sky. If not for the Symphogear-granted enhancements, she probably would have pulled several muscles in her neck by now from the way she was constantly whipping her head around scanning for incoming weapons. There were so many, that between her and Miku they were barely holding them back and couldn’t spare any attention to interdicting the descending Automen, relying on their friends to protect them from the ones which had already landed. “Headquarters, we’ve got guided bombs and missiles that are coming straight for us! You have any idea how those things are targeting us?!”

“We’re reviewing the sensor information from your armor now. No active sensors detected.” Fujitaka said. “No laser designators. Camera guidance?“

“They’re tracking too smoothly for that.” Tomosato pointed out.

“Well it can’t be passive guidance! What sort of signal is there for them…” Fujitaka trailed off as he realized there was one particular, Symphogear-distinctive signal for the Horsemen to guide their warheads by.

“The Aufwachen Waveforms!” Elfnein said what everyone on the bridge was thinking. “The weapons are homing in on your Aufwachen Waveforms!”

“We can’t stay like this.” Shirabe called, darting in to slice up more Automen, who were now prioritising Chris and Miku as targets. And she thought there were a lot at the Mountain Facility! “So long as those aircraft are up there, they’ll keep shooting off missiles and bombs and dropping Automen on us.”

“We have to cut off their reinforcements and fire support.” Tsubasa agreed, her head twisted. “Yukine, are you able to do anything?!”

Chris chewed on her lip in thought as she took a moment to gauge the distance. The aircraft were clearly too high up for her gun or bow attacks, as well as MegaDeth Party. Fortunately, she had longer-ranged options then that. She leaned back as Ichaival gear shifted and unveiled the two massive rockets of **_MegaDeth Fuga_**. Picking out two transports in the cloud of distant aircraft, the missiles soared skyward.

But two other dots grew bigger as a pair of strike aircraft responded to the threats, nodding downward and launching air-air missiles that unerringly blew apart the large rockets.

“Fuck. I was afraid of that.” Chris muttered. She contemplated Red Hot Blaze for a moment, but discarded it. Unlike Fuga, she’d have to put away Billion Maiden for that and leave them vulnerable to the descending weapons. Plus, the thing never seemed to work. Instead, she called out to Miku. “It’s no good! I guess you’re up.”

“Alright, Chris.” Miku said, the whine of Shenshoujing growing as she rose higher.

Hibiki shattered the last Automen of the group she was currently facing and turned in concern. “Miku, are you sure about this?”

“Don’t worry, Hibiki!” The black haired girl called back as she started to climb, “I trained for this!”

Hibiki watched her go for a moment, then jerked forward with a hiss of pain as an Automan took advantage of her distraction and pumped several coilgun rounds into her. Whirling around, she launched herself forward at the offending android. Miku could take care of herself, she had her own battle to fight.

—

[T-Minus: 6049]

As Miku ascended, Elfnein’s voice rang in her ear. “Shifting to optimize for air-air combat.”

The horns on either side of Miku’s head folded inward and locked together, a transparent pseudo-glass visor descending from them over Miku’s eyes and activating a heads-up-display.

“We’re patching in what radar data we can.” Fujitaka told Miku as in the bottom left corner of her vision a 2D map of her immediate surroundings with a mass of contacts fading in and out popped up. Data about her air-speed and altitude appeared in her upper left, with the general state of her Symphogear popping up on the right side. “SDF AWACs will be up momentarily. They’ll be taking over battle control for your part when they arrive.”

“Roger!” Miku answered. The distant pinpricks of the aircraft cohered into distinct shapes. She quickly took in the two different types. First were the heavy lift transports lumbering along in a circle, their rear-cargo doors open. At a steady pace, a large container would drop out their backs to fall towards the earth, breaking open to release their cargo of Automen who would right themselves and activate their jetpacks to slow their descent.

Then there were the strike fighters. These smaller, nimbler aircraft darted about, constantly rolling into position to launch a missile or drop a bomb towards the adaptors below. Several missiles, in fact, were already streaking down to meet the ascending Miku, but she lifted her armed gear and let loose laser fire that blew them out of the sky.

Blasting the middle of the formation of Horsemen aircraft, she flew right up alongside one of the transports, levelled her armed gear right at it, and unleashed a violent **_Lamentation _**of energy that vaporized not just the aircraft’s midsection, but a second transport flying parallel to it. Miku quickly coasted to the side, just in time to avoid a pair of missiles which tore right through where she had been hovering and started to circle back around before she speared them with more beams from her gear. Twisting around, she quickly blasted the offending fighter that had launched the weapons out of the sky.

The formation was already reacting to her presence, the lumbering transports now shying away while the more nimble drone fighter banked around to fire more missiles upon her from their internal bays. Jinking and constantly changing course, Miku released her mirrors and, with a thought, commanded them to fire on the inbound missiles and fighters. She used the minimap to aim her mirrors so as to leave her other one free for her priority target: the big transports with Automen. Quickly, she blasted at one aircraft. It tried to bank out of the way of her shot, but the beam shaved off one of its engines, causing the plane to spiral downwards. Well, that worked just as well… although maybe the others might have to deal with any Automen that survived the crash.

It was a massacre. The enemy could not seem to adapt fast enough to a flying Symphogear trained for aerial combat. After the last burning wreckage of the drone aircraft hurtled towards the ground, Miku recalled her mirrors. She glanced down back towards the base. Her Shenshoujing-enhanced eyesight was able to pick out her friends far below, engaged in combat with the the much larger swarm of Automen around them. Now that the flow of reinforcements was cut-off, they would be able to deal with those that had managed to land.

“Adaptor Kohinata, this is Air SDF AWACs, callsign Sky Bird.” A new voice, male, professional, and respectful, came over her communicator. “We have you on scope. We’ll be providing early warning and coordination with SDF forces. Your callsign is Sunshine-”

“No. I’m Hibiki’s sunshine, no one else’s.” The words were out of Miku’s mouth before she realized she was even saying them. For a moment, she contemplated apologizing for the outburst, but decided against it. As far as she was concerned, it was true.

“But-” Sky Bird was interrupted by some muffled voices, presumably other personnel on the aircraft. They were like jumbo jets with big sensor dishes, so they had to have a lot of people on board, right? Though Miku couldn’t quite make out what was said, she almost certainly heard someone say “Don’t argue with the magical flying laser girl.”

“Okay, Kohinata, we’ll hold off on a callsign for now.” Sky Bird finally said, sounding somewhat chastened. “Be advised, we’re still trying to calibrate for their stealth aircraft so we don’t have solid numbers or target information. We can track their ordnance though, so we’ll give you a heads up if they lob a missile at you.”

“Sky Bird, how long until the SDF fighters arrive?” Miku asked.

“ETA is approximately twenty minutes.”

So she had to hold off a massed Horsemen air force by herself for at least that long practically by herself while preventing said air force from blowing up anything important. Well, Symphogears were pretty much built to do the impossible. Retrieving the last of her mirrors, Miku quickly angled forward and took off westward, where the feed from Sky Bird indicated most of the remaining Horsemen aircraft were massing.

\----

[T-Minus: 5,421]

“There’s just no end to them,” Tsubasa breathed. She cut down yet another one of the Horsemen’s androids before deflecting another one’s fist with her sword, her next swing vertically bisecting it. A third one leapt up and attempted to come at her with a flying punch only to be knocked out of the air by Maria’s thrown knives.

Maria then swung Airgetlamh out, the chainsword unfolding and slicing through more homing missiles descending from above. “Don’t lose hope, Tsubasa! Our friend in the skies will end this.”

“Yeah!” Chris fired at another bunch of flying androids with her miniguns, reducing them to piles of scrap metal. “I made damn sure she practiced aerial combat until her eyes were sore. If anyone could beat them, it’d be her.”

Kirika’s guillotine blade bisected another group of androids that were trying to get to Chris while she was distracted by the jetpack Automen. “Yeah, but how do we know when she’s all done?”

Suddenly, she felt a giant shadow come over her. Looking up, she saw a giant box falling from the sky right on top of her. “DEATH!” She yelped as she barely ducked out of the way. The crate landed with a crash, its contents spilling all over. Damaged Automen climbed out, but before they could even stand up, a pair of yo-yos wrapped around them before Shirabe’s giant saws sliced them into pieces.

“Well,” Shirabe said, her voice panting. “I guess that’s as good of an answer as any.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth then did a giant aircraft, missing two engines and tumbling nose-over-tail, slam into the earth a good several hundred meters away. A few androids, missing limbs and sparking from holes in their armor, stumbled out of the burning wreckage just in time to be impaled by Tsubasa’s sword.

Chris grinned, “I think that’s an even better one.”

“Yeah!” Hibiki said as she threw an android into another set of androids before tearing them apart with her pile bunker punch. “That’s my Miku!” She flashed a V-sign with her fingers and smiled really wide.

Suddenly, the panicked voice of Fujitaka came through on the comms. “This is HQ! We’re under attack! The Horsemen aircraft are targeting SONG’s port. Shenshoujing is here, and we’re scrambling some fighters, but we’re barely holding out over here!”

“Headquarters! We’re…” Maria trailed off as she realized the problem. They were on the opposite side of the bay! Even at the superhuman pace of a Symphogear, they’d never make it in time. The pinkette swiftly glanced around, trying to see if there was a helicopter or other aircraft they could commandeer, but the only vehicles she could spot that weren’t burning wrecks were some service trucks and the odd humvee. She chose to summarize the issue. “Rather lacking in transport.”

“Chris!” Hibiki shouted, turning to the Ichaival user. “Can’t you use your rockets to get us across the bay?”

“Sure.” Chris said, but her scowl was quite at odds with her words. She jabbed a finger upwards, at a pair of distant shapes that even on the ground the girls could tell were Horsemen air superiority fighters, flying off in the direction of the port. “If _they _don’t send some of _those _at us to blow us out of the sky! If that happens, we gotta swim.”

“Not to mention, we still have some enemies here, Tachibana!” Tsubasa thrust her sword towards a hanger where the last surviving group of Automen had just stormed around the corner.

“Yes.” Maria flipped Airgetlamh around as she readied herself. “We’ll just have to trust in your love! I know she won’t let us down!”

Hibiki thought back to how hard Miku had been working to catch up with the rest of them, even leaving aside the special training she had put in for this scenario. “Right!”

She turned towards the final wave of oncoming Automen with new determination, raising her fists. Trust in Miku, not just to handle herself, but to also handle protecting others.

\----

[T-Minus: 4,495]

Miku blew the wing off another fighter that was lining up to release its anti-ship missile at the SONG headquarters. The jet aircraft spun away into the water, pieces of debris sailing skyward. Miku then made a ninety-degree hard turn to avoid the gunfire from an escort that had lined up on her. She did so just in time to see a group of strike fighters breaking away from the fight to start dropping their payload of bombs on the port itself.

Smoke and debris shot upwards as the weapons detonated. Multi-story buildings crumbled, fuel depots erupted in enormous balls of fire, warehouses were smashed. In a moment of anger, Miku contemplated pursuing the fighters that had done the deed before realizing it would be a needless distraction. The Submarine and everyone in it - Elfnein, the bridge crew, Hibiki’s family, her parents - were all in danger. She couldn’t let that happen! So she settled on praying that the base personnel in that section were already in their shelters.

Then her heart fell as a flight of strike fighters armed with anti-ship missiles emerged out of the smoke of the burning buildings and oil tanks, circling the furball in a roundabout manner to strike at the SONG submarine from the landside. A glance at her more immediate environments saw her spot another flight of similarly armed strike fighters begin their attack run through the storm of AA fire from the SDF vessels also docked at the port. Miku could intercept one or the other, but there was no way she would get both.

‘_Like hell there isn’t!_’ She scowled. ‘_Hibiki wouldn’t give up, so neither will I!_’

Angling right at the flight making their attack run from bayside, Miku unfolded the Shenshoujing into its shield-mirror and carefully, but swiftly, raised it. A precisely aimed **_Flash _**of beams tore through the flight, with one jet flipping backwards as the beam slammed into its rear. Then, turning towards the second flight approaching from land, she throttled her Ionocraft modules.

Slamming up against the sound barrier, she pushed through and shot over the submarine, moving to meet the attacking aircraft head on. Raising her armed gear, Miku let loose a torrent of beams into the oncoming strike fighters. Most exploded or spun down into the building aflame, but four barrelled on through and shot straight past the Shenshoujing user.

Flipping herself over, Miku reversed direction in a move that would have instantly reduced a regular human being to jello from the G-Forces. More lasers blew the first jet out of the air and the second disappeared in a fireball as one of Miku’s increasingly frantic beams struck one of the anti-ship missiles it was carrying. The third broke in two as one of her beams speared it horizontally.

But the last strike fighter jinked and juked erratically, the controlling artificial intelligence clearly devoting every bit it had to avoiding Miku’s beams while still closing the gap towards the submarine. A slice of worry wormed its way into Miku’s heart as the strike fighter screamed across the last bit of distance before it reached launching range. She wasn’t going to make it!

A missile flew in from above and blew the strike fighter out of the air.

“Good job holding out so far, kid.” A confident and eager female voice rang through her communicator. It actually reminded her a little of Chris when the Ichaival user’s blood was up. “This is Major Kome Higa, callsign ‘Archer’, Fifth Air Wing, Western Air Defense Region. We’re here to back you up. Now come on, let’s show these drones who’s boss.”

—

[T-Minus: 3,486]

Major Kome Higa’s grin was filled with cold anger. The Horsemen were responsible for the deaths of some buddies of hers last time and probably a couple more this time. This was her opportunity to even the score, even if the Horsemen’s air forces were almost entirely drones.

She also needed to help the Symphogear adaptor. Magical flying beam spammer or not, Higa didn’t consider herself the type to leave a teenage girl in the lurch on her own. No matter how formidable the Horsemen’s hyper-agile drone and kinetic/energy weapon bullshit was, the kid had fought for the world on a repeated basis. Protecting her was a nice way to return the favor.

She cut the speed on her X-2 air superiority fighter, dropping out of supercruise and down into the subsonic range more appropriate for a dogfight as her squadron shot past the floating figure of that Symphogear adaptor, Miku Kohinata. Glancing over her shoulder, the pilot was gratified to see the kid was swift on the uptake and quickly accelerated after them. Further back, beyond Miku, she could see the contrails of more ASDF squadrons sweeping in to reinforce.

“Sweeper, on me.” She ordered. “Gator, Aquila, coordinate with Kohinata. Let’s show these assholes that the Symphogears aren’t the only reason you don’t fuck with SONG.”

Higa’s flight, with the impromptu addition of a Symphogear adaptor, shot back over the distinctive silhouette of the SONG submarine. The arrival of the fighter aircraft prompted the MSDF vessels to stop firing, not willing to risk friendly fire. In one respect this was bad, because it gave the current squadron of Horsemen strike fighters making their attack run on the submarine a clear shot.

In another respect, it was good, because it meant Higa and her squadron had a free shot at the strike package.

“Fox-Two!” The Major whooped as she heard the lock-on tone and fired her first missile. The strike fighter she targeted jettisoned counter-measures, but weighed down by the anti-ship missiles under its wings it couldn’t maneuver in time to avoid the seeker from reacquiring and it splashed.

That was the signal for the furball to properly begin, a chaotic, twisting dance of maneuver and counter-maneuver as the ASDF and Horsemen aircraft engaged each other with their missiles and guns. Missile trails, tracers, and coilgun slugs crisscrossed the air, burning wreckage of Horsemen drones and shot down Japanese fighters alike falling from the air. In the latter case, some of the pilots managed to eject and some did not. Higa didn’t permit herself to be too torn up by the latter. They knew the risks and there would be time to remember them at the bar tonight. For now, she concentrated on the air battle.

Triggering her gatling guns, Higa was rewarded by the sight of the Horsemen drone in her crosshairs spiralling away uncontrollably. Pulling a high yo-yo to place herself above the furball, she scanned the AO for either another target or potential threats. Then her radio crackled and she heard someone from another squadron, call sign ‘Garuda’, shout, “Hey, look at the kid go!”

Higa twisted her head towards where the sensors feed told her Miku was and noted that the Shenshoujing user had stopped moving and deployed a series of mirrors that hovered around her. A positive _blizzard _of beams shot in every direction in concert with the adaptor’s own beam-gun-fan-thing. They were well aimed too: not a single shot missed or hit a friendly, and each reduced a Horsemen drone to scrap metal. Any drone aircraft that tried to take advantage of the adaptor’s stillness to line up a shot swiftly found itself getting jumped by one of the ASDF fighters that constantly shadowed the girl.

“Woah, she’s practically making it rain!” Sweeper shouted as his aircraft dove in on another enemy fighter trying to take advantage of the Symphogear users stillness.

Making it rain, huh? Keying her radio, the Major opened up a channel to the AWACs. “Hey, Sky Bird, I think I got a good call sign for Kohinata...”

—

[T-Minus: 2,133]

When the last burning Horseman fighter cascaded into the ocean, Miku breathed a sigh of relief. Glancing around, she found the skies bare of hostile aircraft. The only thing flying now were ASDF aircraft. She turned towards the SONG submarine but paused as she noticed a reminder that it hadn’t been the sole target of the Horsemen strike fighters. One of the air defense cruisers was burning away and listing at anchor. Fire trucks from the base were barrelling down the pier, and those men from the vessel who couldn’t jump to land were instead jumping into the water to swim the rest of the way.

Miku’s first instinct was to do what Hibiki would do. Help, now and immediately. But then she realized there could be more fighters incoming. Burdening herself with rescue work could put even more lives in danger. She keyed her communicator. “Sky Bird, this is Kohinata, am I needed anywhere else?”

“Kohinata, we’ve got more bandits forming up at the mouth of the bay.” Sky Bird replied. “Signatures are faint though, no strike fighters. Probably all the remaining multi-role drones. ASDF squadrons are moving to engage.”

For another moment, Miku hesitated. Help the sailors or help the ASDF? She took another look at the burning cruiser. Several rescue boats were motoring out and the firefighters were out of their vehicles and hooking up the extinguishing foam. They seemed to have it well in hand. That made the decision for her.

“Copy, I’m intercepting.” Miku answered, falling in at the edge of one of the ASDF fighter formations moving out that way. She noticed the figure of the pilot in the cockpit glance at her, then double-take at the realization she was tagging along before they shot her a salute and focused their attention forward.

“And, uh… hey.” Sky Bird sounded a bit more reticent. “One of the pilots suggested the callsign Rainmaker for you. That work okay?”

Rainmaker, huh? Miku turned the word over in her head then shrugged. “I don’t mind that.”

“Okay then, Rainmaker it is.”

After the hair-raising furball of taking on the mass of Horsemen strike fighters and their escorts, the flight out to engage the new group of enemy aircraft seemed almost boring. Idly, Miku switched her comms to listen in on the ASDF pilot chatter.

“So, any more advice?” She caught one pilot from one of the newly arriving squadrons saying.

“Stick with Rainmaker.” Another answered. “Given how good she is with those beams of hers, you’ll make it.”

Miku blushed a little at that, wondering if she should have objected to the nickname earlier. Ah well, too late now.

“Missile launches, straight ahead.” Sky Bird warned. “They see you coming.”

“Kohinata here, I’ll lead.” Miku announced, peeling off of the formation she had attached herself too and adding a bit of power to her Ionocrafts to pull ahead of all the aircraft.

“What are you-” The pilot who said didn’t get a chance to finish their objection. As the streaks of incoming missiles appeared, Miku snapped her fan up and blasted rapid fire with her beams, tearing into the oncoming missiles. Behind her, the ASDF fighters rocked as their pilots were surprised by the sudden mid-air detonations, but they quickly recovered from their shock and launched their own missiles back at the approaching Horsemen fighters.

Another dogfight developed, but this one didn’t last long. The Horsemen’s numbers were seriously depleted already, and Miku had considerable back-up on her side. Within a matter of minutes, Miku destroyed the last Horsemen fighter’s fuel tanks, creating a great explosion. That left the Shenshoujing user floating there at thirty-thousand feet with the ASDF aircraft circling in formation around her.

“Huh…” Major Higa’s voice gave words to Miku’s own thought. “Was that really all they got?”

As if in answer, Sky Bird chimed in. “New contact, bearing one-three-five. Due south. Uh… wow, this is a big one.”

Miku turned south just in time to see the flying wing breach the clouds as it lumbered towards the mouth of the bay. Indeed, it was a big one. In fact, big didn’t do it justice. With a vague resemblance to a manta ray, it was _massive_. A veritable flying fortress that put the airship from Val Verde that Miku had seen pictures of to shame. A runway running through the central structure constituted its ‘mouth’, making it clear precisely where the Horsemen aircraft had all launched from.

Nor was it obviously limited to just aircraft. Either wing of the immense aircraft was positively dotted with turrets that slew forward in the direction of Miku and the ASDF fighters. On top of its head, an immense array of small doors indicated the presence of missile tubes. Just fore of the tubes, printed on the flying vessel were the letters and numbers: 04P164-CVB-10.

“Holy _shit_.” Major Higa summed up the sight for everyone.

Miku’s eyes narrowed. So this was the final boss then? Well, if the Horsemen thought she would be impressed by their giant flying toy, they had another thing coming. Unfolding her knee plates and hooking her cables up to the ring, the Shenshoujing glowed with power. A ball of energy popped up in front of Miku before spitting forth in a continuous beam. Like a **_Shooting Star_**, the beam rocketed forward towards the massive flying wing.

And abruptly came to a halt as it slammed into a light blue-glowing _something _a dozen meters in front of the massive airship. Miku shifted the beam, but the apparent shield shifted with it, precisely matching her. It gave no sign of faltering or succumbing.

Miku was not a girl prone to swearing. That was more Chris’s thing. But the sight of her most powerful attack - or the most powerful available in this combination at any rate - being halted dead came very close to dragging a curse out of her. How?! Against the Shenshoujing, any relic-based shielding…

Miku internally thwacked herself. Of course, it wasn’t relic based. This was the Horsemen, it had to be another of their inexplicable technological leaps.

For a moment, the airship seemed content demonstrating the futility of Miku’s assault on it. But then the pair of especially large turrets on either side of the racks of VLS missile tubes swing onto her.

“_Massive_ Gamma-ray spike!” Miku could hear the panic in Sky Bird’s voice. On her map, two thin pairs of red lines appeared extending out from the turrets, with her directly in the middle of the intersection. “Rainmaker, move now!”

Miku obeyed, swiftly retracting her Liuxing form and darting out of the way of the redlines. No sooner did she clear them then did two immense violet beams snap into existence where she had been floating. Even through her armor, she felt the heat and radiation coming off of the beams. If she was hit directly by those heavy grasers… well, it probably wouldn’t kill her but it’d certainly be enough to break through the Symphogear’s defense fields and seriously hurt her.

Miku dropped down, dipping beneath the arc of the turrets that had fired on her from atop the airship. But almost immediately, the pair of redlines popped up again. There were another pair of turrets on the bottom of the vessel too!

Pushing her Ionocraft modules hard, Miku shot out of the lines of fire just in time for the beams to fire. She powered in close to the great vessel, figuring she could get between its shield and the vessel and use her beam attacks freely.

But the Horsemen had accounted for that. A barrage of fire leapt forward from the smaller coilgun and graser turrets dotting the airship’s structure. Miku immediately reverse-coursed in order to avoid the practical wall of firepower being thrown at her.

—

[T-Minus: 1,236]

“Well, fuck.” Higa muttered as she watched the flying fortress flat out no sell every attempted attack by one of the seven most powerful people on the planet. Swinging her plane around, she gunned the engines. “Let’s give her a hand, people! Line up for your shots and call in by squadron. I’ll give the order.”

One by one, the ASDF squadrons fell into a holding pattern around the giant. The enormous flying wing paid no attention to them, apparently considering them beneath it’s notice. Only those aircraft which ventured close enough to provoke the secondary weapon systems were immediately swatted out of the sky.

“If you’re not set up, you’ve got ten seconds!” Higa commanded, starting the countdown in her head as she came in directly behind the vessel. The tone in her ears told her she had full lock but it was pretty much an afterthought: given the size of the target, she couldn’t miss. “Five, four, three, two, one. Launch! Rifle, rifle!”

A storm of missiles bore down on the flying fortress from every compass direction, with a few even plunging in from above or below. They all slammed home, enveloping the monster in a storm of fire.

Pretty much immediately, the airship emerged out of the debris, not even scratched.

“No effect on target, I say again, no effect on target.” Higa said. “Damn it. No wonder it’s ignoring us! Only Rainmaker poses any sort of threat!”

Higa’s radio crackled. “Archer, confirm: you did see the missiles make contact? The shield did not block them?”

Higa thought back before answering. “Some of the missiles approaching from Rainmaker’s bearing ran into it, but otherwise all made direct contact.” She watched as Miku dodged another volley of those heavy grasers and fired off retaliatory shots from an oblique angle, shots that stopped that same dozen-or-so meters short of the vessel. “It looks like the shield can cover all angles, but can only be in one place at a time.”

There was a long pause before Sky Bird finally spoke up again. “Archer, redirect to Tateyama Airbase for a landing. We have a plan.”

The Major arched an eyebrow and keyed her comms. “Uh… copy, redirecting now. Care to fill me in?”

“Not over the airwaves, too risky.” Was Sky Bird’s answer. “But you’ll probably be able to figure it out when you land.”

Taking one last glance at the adaptor desperately flitting about in the sky, Higa kicked in her afterburners. Whatever plan Sky Bird had thought up, she hoped to hell it worked.

\----

[T-Minus: 819]

Hibiki’s eyes flitted from left to right. Piles of smoldering metal and broken rubble lined the area. Soldiers, Japanese and American, were out and about, guns slung across their backs, trying to clean up. Hibiki worked with them in search of survivors. Though the constant surge of Automen had long ceased, there were still unfortunate people trapped in the rubble who could use her help.

One such person was a Japanese soldier whose lower body was pinned by a part of the building that had fallen on top of him. Perhaps some graser fire had damaged the support frame of the building, or some vehicle had fallen out of the sky, landed on the roof, and collapsed it. Either way, Hibiki freed the man from what could have been a death sentence.

“Here, let’s get you up,” the Gungnir girl said as she lifted the man up and carried him with his arm slung over her shoulder. Though he was probably a full head taller than her, he didn’t seem to weigh anything at all.

“Tha-thank you,” he said in a pained voice. He was pretty beat down, but he was still lucid in spite of the state of his legs.

“It’s my pleasure, sir.” Hibiki replied.

“Sir…” The man chuckled to himself, even as he grimaced from the pain. “Almost deific compared to us, yet she still calls me sir.”

Hibiki smiled awkwardly, not sure how to handle the soldier’s comments. With her free hand, she waved down to one of the medical teams standing by to help treat the injured.

Hibiki was able to get the man onto a stretcher carried by the two medical personnel before they started running off with them. Another life, saved by her. Maybe this is what being a hero is like.

But as satisfying as it was to save people in the here and now, the battle was still far from over.

The Horsemen still had some aircraft in the skies, and, on occasion, would send some flying Automen or try to drop bombs on their heads. This would inevitably lead to more people being injured and in need of rescuing. Most of the base personnel were keeping a respectful distance from the adaptors, both from a combination of awe and in order to avoid getting caught in the crossfire whenever a group of Automen showed up.

To make matters worse, SONG HQ was under a massive assault like never before. Sure, Miku was protecting them, and Hibiki trusted Miku to defend their family and friends as well as Hibiki could’ve, but knowing they were in danger and being unable to do anything about it really, really sucked.

Hopping down off the structure, Hibiki glanced around to see if anybody else needed help. She spotted Shirabe, carefully cutting a piece of steel rebar being used to patch up one of the more essential structures. One of the base engineers had worked up the courage to approach her and inquire about the precise capabilities of her cutting saws. The answer had immediately seen her practically shanghaied to help with repairs, with the small girl relenting when it was pointed out that getting the base back in operation was necessary to help the SDF aircraft that were entering the battle.

As the runway repair crews were the most exposed to a sudden Horsemen attack, Chris stood guard over them, Billion Maiden still out and her eyes scanning the skies. Maria had quipped at one point she had become a point-defense turret. The Ichaival user had some pointed things to say about that.

A familiar hand clasped Hibiki on the shoulder and she glanced over to see Kirika smiling up at her, Igalima resting on her shoulder. “Worried about Miku-san?”

Was she that obvious? Hibiki sighed before returning the smile. “Yeah. I know she’ll be fine and all, but I can’t help it. I guess this is the universe's way of getting revenge for all the times I made _her_ worry.”

“I know that feeling.” Kirika’s smile gained a bit of bitterness to it, her eyes drifting over to where Shirabe finished precisely cutting through the rebar and waved to one of the workers to take it away. “If anything ever happened to Shirabe, I…” She trailed off.

Hibiki frowned, her worry for Miku suddenly being joined by worry for Kirika. She had heard about the blonde’s breakdown a few days ago but still wasn’t sure how to address that. Deciding to make a careful probe, Hibiki asked, “Are you okay, Kirika-chan?”

Kirika blinked a few times and abruptly intensified her smile a little _too _fast. “Uh… yeah! I guess we should find Tsubasa-senpai or Maria and see if they need any help.”

Hibiki’s frown deepened slightly as Kirika quickly about faced and began to walk away. Why did her friends have to resemble… well, herself at times?

The roar of jet engines snapped the Gungnir user’s attention away from her friend, her body automatically tensing in case it was a Horsemen bombing run. Turning, she relaxed as she spotted an Air SDF fighter quickly coming into land on a patched up section of runway. Out of the corner of her eye, Hibiki noted that Chris had also reacted to the sound of jet engines and trained her guns on the aircraft before realizing it was friendly.

But the aircraft didn’t taxi off the runway, instead turning around and making ready as if to take-off again. Then the cockpit opened and a short-haired brunette lady stood up out of it, tearing the fighter pilot helmet off her head and shouting. “Yo, one of the adaptors! Rain-uh, Kohinata needs help, **_fast_**!”

Hibiki stiffened momentarily before immediately pellmelling it across the airfield towards the aircraft. She only _just _didn’t manage to make it to the aircraft first, being beaten by Chris who shouted up, “What?! What’s going on?”

“We don’t have time to explain here!” The pilot shouted down. “I only got room for one of you!”

Hibiki heard the other four racing up behind her, but her reply was instantaneous. “I’ll go! It’s _my _Miku who needs help, after all.”

The lady glanced down at her for a moment before smirking. “Alright, get in Lovebird. And drop your armor, we don’t want them to know we’re coming.”

Hibiki leapt up onto the aircraft, startling the pilot slightly, before dispelling her transformation, reverting back to her SONG uniform, and climbing down into the cockpit. The other adaptors backed off, clearing the runway for the aircraft.

As Chris watched the SDF fighter take-off and begin to climb away, she couldn’t stop a snicker slipping out from her lips. Lovebird, huh? Well, the dummy’s hairstyle _did _remind her of a bird’s sometimes. Oh, she was gonna have fun with that one.

\----

[T-Minus: 317]

Miku was in a stalemate. The airship’s heavy grasers were easy enough to dodge with Sky Bird’s warning, but the shield was immune to all of her attacks and any attempt to get close was immediately driven back by the storm of point defense weaponry. She had tried to release her mirrors, but the arc of the shield was greater then the distance the mirrors could move from her. The ASDF fighters had made several more attacks, with just the same lack of results as the previous ones.

Miku was very frustrated. As she ducked out of the angle of the latest heavy graser barrage, she chanced a look at her map and felt a cold shiver of realization run down her back. She was wrong, it wasn’t a stalemate. After all, that implied she had prevented the airship from moving. But that wasn’t the case: the need to keep dodging the heavy grasers and stay out of range of the point-defense weapons meant the airship had been able to fly across Tokyo Bay and was now approaching Yokosuka, where the SONG submarine was anchored.

Glancing over her shoulder, Miku spotted the port and small pinprick of the submarine. Apparently, in the intervening time they had managed to get the vessel underway but it was only just clearing the pier and it would take time before it reached waters deep enough in the bay to submerge.

Miku looked back at the enormous airship. Her eyes widened as the hatches to the VLS missile tubes started swinging open, a clear indication the vessel was about to enter range. From the sheer quantity of tubes… there was no way she’d be able to stop all of these missiles!

In desperation, Miku shot up so she was diagonally above and in front of the vessel. Deploying her Liuxing form and aiming directly at the missile field, she sent another immense pulse from Shooting Star slicing down. But the now familiar light blue shimmer of the vessels shield snapped into existence a dozen meters out, halting the beam dead.

“Don’t despair, Rainmaker!” A female voice called out over her communicator. It was the same pilot as back at the port… Archer. “We’ve got more help!”

Miku blinked as a moment later, the aircraft of Major Higa shot right by her, climbing up towards a point high above the flying wing. Inside, Higa constantly glanced between her altimeter and the airship.

“You sure I can’t call out to her over the radio?” Hibiki asked in the backseat anxiously.

“Horsemen might be listening in. We don’t want them to focus on this plane before we’re ready.” Major Higa answered, although most of her attention was on the enormous flying wing, keeping an eye out for any ordinance heading their way. ”Cool yourself Lovebird, I’ll get you in position to help ya girl.”

Hibiki cringed at the nickname. She hoped it wouldn’t catch on like MegaDeth did.

Paying no mind to the Gungnir user, Higa judged the distance correct and rolled the aircraft upside down. “Right, Lovebird! Now!”

Without giving any response, Hibiki hammered the ejection seat button Higa had instructed her to use at the proper time. The canopy over her head blew out and her seat rocketed away. Forcing her arms through the g-forces of her descent, she hammered the buckle and separated from the seat before grabbing Gungnir and singing…

_“Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron.”_

From where she was hovering, Miku heard the familiar chant and her head whipped around. “Hibiki?!”

Her armored gauntlet expanding, her internal mechanisms whirring, and her rockets firing, Hibiki descended like a meteor towards the vessel with a battlecry that could be heard even over the immense airships jets. The aircraft rushed up to meet her, quickly growing so that there was nothing in view but it. She was a thousand meters away, seven hundred, five hundred, two hundred, one hundred…

At about fifty meters, she threw her punch, just as the shield popped into existence in front of her. With a strange electrical screech, she impacted and felt the shield wobble slightly under the force of her blow. Wobble… but hold. It wasn’t enough, Hibiki could tell right away. Not with her current combination. Maybe if she was at the level when she fought the Illuminati, most certainly if she was in her latest. But the Anti-LiNKER exposure meant that wasn’t an option.

In spite of that knowledge, Hibiki gave a triumphant grin as Gungnir’s mechanisms whined and her rockets roared. She knew it didn’t matter if she could break the shield or not. Because if the shield was _here_…

Miku’s next Shooting Star, arcing down well off too Hibiki’s right, speared right through the missile tubes and swiftly burned through to the bottom-rear of the airship, punching straight through the central runway in the process. But Miku didn’t let the beam up, instead she turned, carving a path of destruction right across the airship’s portside.

The shield under Hibiki’s fist just died. Now freed from the obstacle, the rocket punch resumed and though it had lost a lot of power, it was still more than enough to smash through the crippled behemoth. Hibiki shot straight down and speared right through the airship. Although at that point, the damage she inflicted was something of an afterthought compared to what Miku just did.

The Gungnir user smashed her way out through the bottom of the vessel just as it violently exploded. Even descending away from it, she felt the heat of blast through her Symphogear and was buffeted. Bits and pieces of burning wreckage, none bigger than one of her fingers, shot past her. Miku must have hit an internal ammo storage or something.

“Confirmed destruction of enemy flying wing.” Sky Bird reported as the shrapnel fell towards Tokyo Bay. “No further contacts, mission complete.”

Miku, however, had more immediate concerns. Dropping her Liuxing form and angling downward, she shot forward. Pushing her Ionocraft engines up to her now-familiar limit as she chased after the falling Gungnir user. Hibiki had spread her arms and legs out, breaking as hard as she could. She had already braced herself when Miku swooped in and grabbed her, hauling herself back-up with the chestnut haired girl cradled in a classic princess carry. Hibiki simply gave a short grunt at the impact into her sunshine’s arms, before wrapping her arms around Miku’s neck.

“Hibiki!” Miku started in a scolding tone as her visor folded back into her gear, dropping out of her air combat mode. But her worry quickly faded at the smile Hibiki sent her back. It was a smile that said everything that needed to be said: they both knew Miku would always catch her, just as they both knew Hibiki would always catch Miku. In the face of such complete and total trust, Miku couldn’t stay angry although she spent a few seconds trying. Finally she let out a sigh. “What am I going to do with you?”

Hibiki‘s grin became downright cheeky. “Love me? Maybe throw in a kiss?”

Miku laughed. “I suppose that works.”

She started to lean in, but before they could connect, their communicators crackled. “Yo, Lovebird Squadron!” The two glanced over as Higa’s ASDF fighter jet pulled up alongside them. They could see the fighter pilot give them a jaunty wave. “Maybe ya’ll will want to wait to make out until the boys have RTB’d? Some of ‘em have been ordered to keep their flight cams on you for SONG’s benefit, and I doubt you want one of your more intimate moments all over the ‘net. Trust me: the threat of a bollocking from the base CO won’t deter ‘em.”

Both of the adaptors blushed as they glanced around and realized that most of the fighter jets had formed up into their squadrons, but had centered their formations on Miku.

Pushing through the embarrassment, Hibiki decided to give a quick reply. “Well… ah, thanks for the lift?”

“Hey, you’re a world-saving hero.” They could hear the woman’s shrug in her voice. “A lift to see ya gal is the least I could give you. Besides, I got to see quite the light show. Speaking of which, hey, Rainmaker!” Miku turned her head at the call to look directly through the canopy at the pilot. “You know you made ace several times over in this engagement?”

Miku shrugged. The phrase meant nothing to her. “Did I?”

Archer sighed exasperatedly. “Come on, sound proud! It’s an impressive feat. Sheesh, you’d think you hadn’t just downed a big-ass flying fortress.” She paused. “Hey, if either of you are ever by the base, I’ll buy you a… well, I guess you’re too young to drink, so we’ll make it your choice of soda for now. Deal?”

Miku sincerely doubted they would be up at wherever Archer was based out of any time soon. But there was no harm in accepting the gesture. “We’ll keep that in mind.”

“Hope to see ya around, Lovebird, Rainmaker.” Then her voice shifted, clearly talking to the others. “Alright, guys. You got your look at the heroines of the hour. Those who need to refuel and rearm, RTB. Everyone else, get to your assigned CAPs and await further orders from Sky Bird. Archer, out.”

And with a roar of their engines, the SDF jets peeled away and soared off into the distance.

Miku glanced curiously at Hibiki. “Lovebird?”

Hibiki gave a long-suffering sigh. “I think I know a bit how Chris feels about ‘MegaDeth’ now. At least Rainmaker sounds cool though. How did you luck out with that one?”

Miku giggled in response. The two lapsed into silence for a minute as they flew back towards the port.

“Hey, Miku?” Hibiki spoke up suddenly.

“Hm?”

“Is this what you always see when flying?”

Miku blinked at the question before she really took a look around. She had been so focused on training or fighting when using her Shenshoujing that this was the first chance she had to really take in how it _felt _to fly. And it took her breath away.

The endless sky, the distant horizon, and the sun glinting off the skyscrapers of Tokyo which looked more like toy blocks at this altitude. The feel of the wind whipping against her as she soared through the sky. And with Hibiki in her arms, the distance from anything else made it feel as if, in this one moment, the entire world belonged to her and her shining sun.

It felt wonderful.

“I guess so.” Miku finally said. The two fell back into their comfortable silence, Miku actually slowing a bit so they could enjoy the journey.

[Initiation]

Miku snuck a glance at Hibiki, using her unstated girlfriend privileges to ogle the Gungnir user and admire how pretty she looked with the wind whipping through her hair, even if it was in Miku’s shadow.

Wait, her shadow? It was late-afternoon, and Miku was facing west. The sun was in _front_ of her, so she shouldn’t be casting any shadow on someone in her arms.

Hibiki looked over her girlfriend’s shoulder and gave a short yelp, causing Miku to come to an abrupt halt and turn around. Neither girl was prepared for the raw intensity of the burning light they were now facing. In fact, both of them were certain that they would have been blinded if not for their Symphogear armor. As it was, the glare was awful enough that they were forced to squeeze their eyes shut.

It was a light like the sun and unlike the sun. Horror arose in both of them as they realized the light was familiar. They had seen this before, just after Hibiki had been freed from the Divine Weapon. Except _that _light had been constrained by the power of the Lapis Philosophorum. The light they could see even through their closed eyelids was constrained by nothing.

After several interminable seconds, the light faded and the two girls opened them again, blinking away the afterimages. The vision they opened their eyes too confirmed their worst fears: an immense column of smoke and debris mushrooming skyward into a terribly familiar shape they had only ever seen in their history textbooks before.

“Hibiki…” Miku muttered in dread as she watched the nuclear explosion unfold in front of her. The Gungnir user tightened her grip around Miku’s neck in an attempt to comfort her, her eyes narrowing towards the expanding mushroom cloud, trying to judge the distance. She was slightly relieved as she realized the mountains and hills of the Bōsō Peninsula were between them and the nuclear explosion. Their friends, at least, were probably safe.

“It’s okay, Miku.” She said after a few moments. “It looks like-”

She was interrupted by the arrival of the shockwave. At this distance, it amounted to little more than a heavy breeze, but both girls nonetheless flinched at the accompanying sound. The roar sounded like the door to hell slamming open.

A sullen stillness fell over the two adaptors as the roar faded. Neither really could think of anything to do other than watch as the mushroom cloud grew and solidified in the distance.

\----

**Next Chapter: **Weapon Effects, Human Effects

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I came up with the idea of “sci-fi military organization vs the Geahs”, I knew I would have to work in an air battle. I foreshadowed this as far back as the Panau battle, but no one commented and I wonder if anybody predicted this. This chapter was inspired by a number of my fond old times with the Ace Combat series. That’s also why there is not that much in the way of Beyond-Visual-Range fighting in this chapter, despite the fact that logically the Horsemen should be shooting off their missiles at the SONG submarine from somewhere in the Pacific. But this is Symphogear, and that would be boring.
> 
> Also, since no one seems to have caught it, Maria’s canonical birthday is August 7th. I was astonished when I realized how perfect that was.


	23. Weapon Effects, Human Effects

Distortions

Chapter 23:

Weapon Effects, Human Effects

\----

A silence, no less deafening then the roar of the shockwave, hung over the two girls as they hovered there in silent disbelief. They could barely believe this was happening and could do little but stare as that ominous, evil cloud boiled upwards on the horizon. A baleful glow at its center, the remnants of the fireball swiftly faded as the cloud went from grey to white. There was a metallic tang to the air, one Hibiki recognized from when Adam Weishaupt had obliterated the underground bunkers at Matsushiro. So that  _ was  _ the taste of fusion.

It was Hibiki who came to her senses first with the realization that given the scale of the catastrophe that just happened, there were probably a lot of people who needed help.

But first they needed more information.

“HQ,” She said into her communicator, her voice pulling Miku out of her own stupor. “This is Tachibana. Where did that nuke just go off?”

She received nothing but static back.

“Headquarters? Tsubasa-san? Chris-chan? Maria-san?” Hibiki repeated, panic rising in her voice. “Anyone?”

“This is Adaptor Miku Kohinata,” Miku joined in, keying her own communicator and broadcasting on an open channel. “Can anyone hear me? Anyone at all? We are requesting information on the nuclear detonation. Headquarters? Sky Bird? Archer?”

Again, no reply was forthcoming. Hibiki was just about to open her mouth to suggest they beeline for the sub when there was a squelch of static.

“-ku… -bi…” The distant and scratchy snippets of what sounded like Fujitaka drifted through the cacophony. “-com… -eton.... ar me?”

“Headquarters?” Hibiki said rapidly. “Headquarters, is that you? I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

An electronic whine was the only response Hibiki got before the static seemed to ‘snap out’. “Hello?” Fujitaka’s voice came in much clearer. “Miku-san and Hibiki-san? Can you hear me? Chris-san, Tsubasa-san, Maria-san, Shirabe-san, Kirika-san? Can any of you hear me?”

“Fujitaka-san!” Miku called back. “We can hear you! We’re still over Tokyo Bay. What happened?”

“Oh thank god.” They could feel Fujitaka’s relief through the communication. “Backwash from the explosion’s EMP. We’re still trying to establish remote contact with the others back at Tateyama.”

“Where are we needed?” Hibiki asked instantly.

“The bomb detonated well off-shore, but it was big.” Fujitaka replied. “Not as big as the one the Americans lobbed at us last year, but still pretty big even by nuclear standards. Initial estimates are fifty megatons. Western Tateyama was shielded by the peninsula, but there are reports of minor damage and some flooding in Katsuura and Eastern Tateyama. Contact has been lost with Kamogawa, which was closest to ground zero.”

“Then that’s where we’ll go.” Miku affirmed. Her voice broke no argument.

“Wait, wait!” Fujitaka quickly interjected. “We’ve dispatched helicopters to Tateyama to establish direct contact with the others, now that the Horsemen have been driven off. They are carrying Anti-LiNKER neutralizer, so you’ll want to at least stop off over there. The others will likely also want to come with you.”

Hibiki and Miku glanced at each other in silent agreement. It would be best for them to be at peak efficiency when responding to this disaster. Hibiki keyed her communicator immediately. “Understood, we’ll do so immediately.”

Miku turned and began to fly both of them towards the airbase, pushing herself as fast as she thought she could with Hibiki in her arms.

\----

“We’ve confirmed the hypocenter.” Tomosato reported to Shinji and Souji Ogawa up on the main screen. The pair were still on their way back to SONG headquarters via helicopter, but the teleconference had been hastily arranged. “It’s as we thought: the Undersea Dragon Palace. Given the yield, we can assume the entire complex and all the relics within have been completely vaporized.”

“So much for salvaging any relic fragments from it.” Fujitaka muttered.

Tomosato continued, her voice becoming grim. “Initial casualty projections are on the order of one hundred thousand from the blast, over a quarter of which are dead.” Under her breath she added, “ _ Bastards… _ ”

“Any idea how they delivered the weapon?” Director Ogawa asked.

“The Air SDF and US Strategic Command confirm there was no ballistic missile track. We’re still reviewing the data for potential airborne deli-” Tomosato stopped as a message popped up on her control panel. She quickly skimmed it. “Scratch that. Maritime SDF have reviewed their sonar buoy data. There were faint underwater signatures consistent with a delivery vehicle skirting through where coverage was weakest, but they were overlooked with all the attention on the air raid.”

“A nuclear torpedo?” Fujitaka asked.

“Close.” Tomosato answered. “Looks like an extreme range submersible drone. Like the Russian Status-series.”

“The air raid was a distraction.” Elfnein concluded.

But up on the screen, both Ogawa’s simultaneously shook their heads. “No. The amount of effort put into the raid was too big for it to just be a distraction.” Commander Ogawa said. “But drawing our attention away from the nuke was certainly one of its goals. What about the fallout patterns?”

“Prevailing winds are north-northwest right now.” Fujitaka answered, glancing down at his screen. “But the wind is a fickle thing and-” He frowned as he came across one updating link routed to him. “Huh?”

“What’s wrong?” Director Ogawa asked.

“The SDF has sniffer aircraft out.” Fujitaka answered. “But they're picking up practically no long-term fallout. Radiation readings in the explosion's vicinity are already almost back to background levels. You could get a bigger radiation dose eating a banana. Only ground zero itself poses any health risk.”

“What?” Tomosato’s head turned at that. “A clean nuke? How?”

But Elfnein’s eyes lit up with realization. “I thought there was something unusual with the prompt radiation pulse.” She hastily pulled back the sensor data. “Yes, as I thought. More neutrons and x-rays, but less in the way of gamma and way far too little in the alpha-beta range. It’s all wrong for fission ignition.”

“Elfnein-san, I think you’re going to have to use simpler language.” Fujitaka said sardonically, as he noticed the blank expressions on some of the lower-ranks staring up at the alchemist.

Elfnein chuckled apologetically before elaborating. “Modern thermonuclear weaponry needs a fission-stage to ignite the fusion-stage, which then sometimes sets off a third fission stage on particularly large yield weapons. The weapon the Americans fired at us last September was a three-stage warhead. But the prompt radiation burst and lack of long-term fallout indicates this lacked any fission stages at all. This was a pure-fusion weapon.”

“That’s… good, isn’t it?” Tomosato asked. “We don’t have to worry about long term contamination, after all.”

“Yes, but I can already see a catch.” Director Ogawa muttered darkly. “A nuclear weapon that leaves practically nothing in the way of fallout is much more palatable to use.”

“Not to mention, this is a weapon the Four Horsemen have.” Commander Ogawa said. “And they just demonstrated in no uncertain terms they are willing to use it.”

Deafening silence met that proclamation.

“At… least they showed some restraint?” Fujitaka suggested. “I mean, as horrible as it is to suggest there are few locations to detonate such a weapon that would cause less collateral damage.”

“But why?” Tomosato asked. “We already suspect the Horsemen are trying to engineer a global nuclear conflict and they haven’t shown much concern for collateral damage before. If they have these weapons, why not just start smashing cities?”

“I have a theory.” For the first time in one of these meetings, Yoshigara spoke up from where he usually sat, a folding chair he positioned down between the upper and lower command decks.

“Go on.” Commander Ogawa indicated.

“The Horsemen’s ideological statements indicate they view the current world order as permitting and protecting the heretical technology they despise.” Yoshigara said, “If we do assume that the ideological position is more than a fig-leaf for world conquest, then merely destroying that world order is not enough. It must also be discredited in the eyes of survivors.”

Shinji could see where he was going with this. “And it would be much more discredited if it seems to destroy itself than if everyone knows they did the deed. That makes some sense. But there might also be practical difficulties, production bottlenecks and the like. So we can expect them to only use these weapons against targets that they regard as high priority.”

“Like the girls?” Tomosato asked.

“They’d be much tougher to pick out.” Director Ogawa pointed out. “I don’t have experience with nuclear targeting, but trying to hunt down individuals with strategic nuclear ordinance seems like overkill even by the standards of the Horsemen. Even the Americans last autumn figured they were nuking a divine giant rather than a teenage girl, and the launch platform had been readied days in advance.”

Fujitaka glanced down as a message flickered across his control board, his eyes widened. “Commander, we’re picking up a transmission being broadcast on all channels. Patching it through.”

A video of the ocean appeared, foliage clearly marking it as being in one of the hills of the Bōsō Peninsula overlooking the Pacific. Then blinding white light flooded the image that slowly faded to reveal the rising fireball and forming mushroom cloud. There was little sound, save for the slight rumble of the ground shocks, until the shockwave reached the camera and became a blistering roar.

Then the footage cut and a deep, monotone voice spoke.

"On August Sixth, Nineteen Forty-Five, the United States of America dropped 'Little Boy' on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This bomb served two purposes: first, it was an attempt to bring an end to one of the bloodiest wars in human history by breaking the spirit of the Japanese people. Second, it served as a demonstration of America's resolve to bring about this end, by any means necessary.”

An image of a grotesque lamb’s appeared. Seven horns adorned it’s mutant head and seven pitch black eyes with beady white-dots stared out of them. Elfnein shrank in on herself at the sight, feeling as if the abyss was staring down on her from the screen.

From each corner of the Lamb’s head, four colored Horsemen charged out of each corner with their weapons raised aloft.

“Today, on the centennial anniversary of that demonstration, we have used our own nuclear weapon. Its primary target was not aimed towards humans, however. The long-term radioactive fallout will have minimal effects on the nearest inhabited areas. Our target was the Undersea Palace, a repository of the world's supply of heretical technology, some of the most devastating weapons on the planet. It was a place kept secret by your governments for decades until we revealed its existence to the public last month, along with all of the other secrets the people in charge were keeping from you.”

The image vanished, replaced by a map of Kanto with a dot appearing just offshore, to the east-southeast of the Bōsō Peninsula. The location of the Undersea Dragon Palace.

"Like the Americans who fought World War Two, we feel that doing this was necessary to end the war we've been fighting. For all of human history, there has been a shadow war fought between humanity and those who seek to control humanity using the Custodians’ power. These enemies have come in many forms - Fine, the Illuminati, Shem-Ha. One by one, these forces have fallen. Now, we are reaching the climax of that war, and the final incarnation of this enemy has revealed itself - SONG and its Symphogears. They wield the power of the Custodians as a form of control under the guise of it being for our own benefit. But humanity will not be fooled again. This bomb, our Little Boy, was the first step towards the end of the war. With our Fat Man, the enemy will finally be defeated.”

The image shifted back to the icon of the mutant lamb and the four horsemen.

"And like the destruction of Hiroshima, this bomb demonstrates our resolve and our power. We've shown how far we'll go to free humanity from the Custodians' taint. Take this as a sign of our promise: we will purge SONG, even if it takes the fire of a thousand suns."

And with that, the transmission cut, leaving only grim silence on the bridge.

\----

There was nothing magical about a mushroom cloud.

Hori Hideki had seen one before. As a veteran firefighter of the Chiba Fire Department, he recalled an incident where the engine for a train loaded with volatile chemicals had caught fire at a railyard. When they realized they couldn’t stop the blaze from reaching the tanks, they evacuated the area, set up a firebreak, and sat back to watch. From almost a half-kilometer away, they watched the entire thing explode. There had been a mushroom then also. A large mass of hot air rose, roiling as it went into an annular shape. The updraft drawing air upward into its donut-shaped center, making the stem… 

Although the one now looming over the town of Kamogawa was  _ much  _ bigger, albeit increasingly distorted by the winds. At least none of their geiger counters were clicking, so the wind must be in their favor.

He could tell at a glance that the town itself was a lost cause. By the time Hideki’s column of fire trucks had arrived at the outskirts, sirens blaring, he took one glance at the area and realized the place was about to be consumed by a genuine firestorm. The bomb’s thermal pulse had started blazes all across the city and the shockwave had smashed every single gas main in the city, in addition to demolishing most light structures and damaging the heavy ones, creating plenty of kindling.

Hideki did  ** _not _ ** order his men into the city. Even if he was inclined to do so, debris blocked many of the roads in. As much as it galled a professional firefighter like himself to admit, sending in men would just add to the number of victims. Instead, they remained on the outskirts, putting out the blazes out here, erecting firebreaks, coordinating with other arriving first responders, and helping those citizens who managed to stumble out of the city on foot.

“We need more medical equipment!” He barked into his radio from next to his firetruck’s cabin, over the growing sound of the howling wind. “We’re getting a lot of burn victims and-”

He cut himself off as the roar of an approaching helicopter grabbed his attention. A pair of helicopters were setting down in one of the fields they had put aside for that purpose. There was an insignia on their side, but the glare from the fires and the setting sun made it difficult for him to make out. Still, they looked important. Some big-wigs dropping in? Well, if they were going to throw their weight around, Hideki hoped they were at least competent. People’s lives were at stake.

“I gotta go!” He cut off the sputtering response of the dispatcher. “Get me those medical supplies!”

He marched over towards the helicopters but was taken aback as instead of some higher ranking officials, a bunch of teenage girls climbed out of the vehicles. It was even more of a surprise that he recognized the girls from the news even before he noticed they wore uniforms emblazoned with the logo of SONG. These were the Symphogears? And he thought they looked young on TV!

“Who’s in charge here?” Tsubasa Kazanari asked loudly. Quickly, Hideki stepped forward.

He quickly rushed forward. “Hori Hideki. Chiba Fire Department Division Chief.”

Tsubasa looked the man up and down for a moment before exchanging a glance with Maria. “There is no one from Kamogawa?”

He indicated the burning town, “I imagine they’re unavailable at the moment.” All dead or wounded, most likely. Even if there were any capable survivors, their equipment was probably damaged or destroyed.

“Have you sent any of your men in?” Chris asked.

Hideki eyed her warily, remembering the explosive temper she had shown on the media. “That would be inadvisable. We’re looking at a genuine firestorm here, like something out of the Pacific War, and no way to stop it. Between the wind speeds, the heat, the carbon monoxide, and the flames itself… it won’t be something people can survive.”

“Good.” Chris’s reply surprised him. “Keep maintaining the perimeter, we’ll look for survivors and bring them out. We might need ambulance assistance for some, but SONG will contact you over the radio and we’ll clear the debris and keep the fires off them.”

As if following an unspoken order, the girls immediately filed past the surprised chief, towards the burning town. He noted them reaching up to their necks and grasping pendants as they strode forward. “Wait!” He turned around in spite of himself. “Can you… can you really survive there?”

He knew the question sounded stupid. He had seen footage of these girls punching through mountains, after all. But he couldn’t get over how young most of them seemed. He had a son who was only slightly older than Tsukuyomi! Only the pinkette, Maria, seemed like she was the age where this was something she should be doing. They paused, glancing over their shoulders at him before exchanging expressions of amusement.

“Oh, this is nothing.” Hibiki said casually.

Maria smiled and nodded. “We won’t  _ just  _ survive.”

And with that, the smallest one, Shirabe, sang first.

_ “Various Shul Shagana tron.” _

And then they were no longer just girls. Every person on the perimeter, from the medical personnel and firefighters to even the wounded laying on stretchers turned at the otherworldly songs, just in time to see the ethereal valkyries leap forward into the fire in a bound no mortal human could ever make.

\----

Ryota Hirose and his wife were roasting alive.

Though its windows were busted from the shockwave, their family car was otherwise undamaged and had been mercifully spared the capriciousness of the EMP. So they had attempted to flee the growing firestorm in it. Unfortunately, a particularly large shard of glass punctured one of its tires and at the speeds they were driving, they skidded out of control. The airbags worked as advertised, but they were still knocked out by the crash.

By the time Ryota came too, the flames surrounded them and the wind was howling. His vision was blurred, his body ached, and he gasped for air. He couldn’t have known it, but temperatures were soaring towards eight hundred degrees centigrade. Oxygen levels dropped dangerously as the fire consumed it, replacing it with carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane.

Ryota had enough presence of mind to turn towards his unconscious wife in the passenger seat. He struck his seat belt release and shouted in pain as the heated metal bit of the seat belt whipped across his skin, scalding him. Weakly, he started to reach over towards his wife, likewise unbuckling her and wincing again at the burning sensation in his hands as the metal passed over them.

He tried to budge his wife, but he couldn’t work up the strength. Smoke rose from the seat cushions as they began to smoulder from the ambient heat. It was only a matter of time until they ignited. Ryota’s vision was fading fast. His chest heaved, but it didn’t feel like any air was coming in. He couldn’t even cough or choke.

Silver boots slammed onto the hood of his vehicle, jolting him. A pair of strong arms reached in through the broken windshield, a hand grabbing him and his wife by their smouldering shirts to haul them out of the vehicle. Ryota’s fading consciousness was vaguely aware that they were moving, first rising then falling.

The next thing he knew, he was coughing on his hands and knees. It was still hot, but compared to the temperatures they had previously been in it felt refreshingly cold. He gulped and heaved, a wave of nausea briefly passing over him, but he forced it down in favor of sucking in more lungfuls of glorious air.

“Easy now.” A woman’s voice said, full of concern and he became aware of a hand rubbing his back. “We’re not out of the woods yet. You need to save your strength.”

He looked up and found himself staring into a pair of otherworldly cyan eyes. Distantly, his mind recognized the woman from TV as Maria Candazevna Eve, but the rest of him was too busy being overcome by her raw presence. A sense of power that Ryota could only describe as electric seemed to radiate off of her.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

That snapped him out of his fugue. “Mika.” He croaked, “Where is Mika?”

The pinkette head tilted to the left. Ryota’s eyes followed the motion and relief washed over him as he saw his wife leaning against the adaptor’s shoulder. She was still unconscious, but breathing softly. He quickly crawled over and Maria let him take his wife off of her, cradling her in his arms.

“Thank you.” He muttered, squeezing his eyes shut as tears of gratefulness welled up within him.

“Don’t thank me yet.” Maria said, rising to her feet, although she kept herself bent low. “I got you out of the firestorm, but we’re not too far from it.”

That prompted Ryota to look around. They were in a parking lot fenced in by concrete walls, which were shielding them from the storm-force winds howling in the direction of the fire. Pieces of debris were flying just over their heads as they were sucked into the blaze. And the fire itself loomed just to the east, it’s spread slowed by its own winds but still steadily growing larger as flammable material around it first dried out and then ignited under the ambient heat.

Maria looked over at the blaze, gauging the distance quickly. “We can’t stay here for much longer.” She glanced back down at Ryota. “Do you think you can move?”

He swallowed what little spit remained. “I can, but I don’t know how far I can walk.”

“We’re not walking.” Maria clarified. “Here.” She slung one of her arms around Ryota’s waist and hauled him to his feet, doing the same for his wife with her other arm. Ryota was stunned, it was like he weighed nothing to the woman. Sure, he could feel a fair degree of muscle on her but she didn’t even seem to be particularly  _ trying  _ to lift him.

“Brace yourself.” Maria said. And before Ryota could ask what she meant, she jumped.

Well, to call it a jump would be an understatement. From Ryota’s perspective, it was just one step removed from actually flying. Had his throat not been so scratchy, he probably would have been hollering his head off in surprise and terror.

He barely had a chance to catch his breath when Maria landed only for her to leap again. But the firestorm was not going to let them go that easily. An abrupt gale struck them, catching Maria off guard and the next thing they knew they were falling backwards, almost being sucked into the fire.

“Sorry about this!” Maria shouted and before Ryota could ask what she meant, she threw him up.

Now, Ryota did scream, despite how much it hurt his throat. But that meant he didn’t manage to see Maria draw Airgetlamh with her now free hand and the whip sword extended far out, embedding itself on a distant road. Retracting the sword and pulling just so, Maria resumed her forward momentum, dispelling the armed gear at just the right moment so as to arc into Ryota’s fall and catching the man just as he began to plummet. A few seconds later that seemed like an eternity, and they were back on the ground.

Ryota staggered as he was released, once again falling to his knees with a gasp.

“I’m sorry, was that too much?” Maria asked.

“No, I-I’m fine.” He said as he got back up to his feet, turning back to the pinkette. He quickly took his unconscious wife off of Maria, lifting her up in his arms and glancing back the way they had come. The flames of the firestorm were still quite visible here and the wind strong, but the temperatures had finally fallen down into something reasonably tolerable.

“You should be safe walking out from here.” Maria pointed further down the road. “Emergency personnel should be just around the corner. Their setting up a shelter and aid station on the outskirts. Make sure you get those burns checked out.”

Ryota glanced down at his hands at the comment, abruptly reminded of the fire. Strange that they didn’t hurt yet. He asked. “What about you?”

Maria chuckled. “My job’s not done yet. There’s still more people in there.”

With that, she turned and leapt away, leaving Ryota to gape after her for a long moment. Finally, he shook his head and turned away, carrying his wife down in the direction indicated. He had heard the allegations against the pinkette and hadn’t known whether to believe them or not.

He certainly didn’t believe them now.

\----

Tsubasa’s hover modules quietly hummed as she held the person in her arms carefully. She couldn’t tell whether they were a man or woman, but in a real sense she knew it didn’t matter: they were someone who desperately needed to help. At first, it had seemed pretty routine search and rescue for them with hurt people who were nonetheless able to be casually carried out or otherwise retrieved. But deeper into the fires they had started to encounter the more horrendously wounded, the sort of people who had been openly exposed to the initial thermal and radiation pulses. 

Tsubasa had read of the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in school, of course. But reading about them could have never prepared her for the actual reality. The swordswoman thought she had known what “burned to the bone” looked like after helping with that volcano in the Caribbean. Today taught her just how wrong she had been. She was sure that the visions of men and women with their skin hanging from their arms would be a feature of her nightmares in the days to come.

Even Chris had been nauseous at some of these more intense injuries and that was a first. In previous disasters, the Ichaival user could be horrified and upset by the injuries of the people, but she had never been sickened by them before.

They were in such a state that Tsubasa didn’t dare run while carrying them, instead opting to use Ame no Habakiri’s hover modules to ensure they were carried out as smoothly as possible. The adaptors had come to a quick agreement that such extreme cases, if they had to be moved by them, should be carried out by either Miku, Tsubasa, or Shirabe. They were the ones who had Gear-based transport features that would jostle those victims the least.

Tsubasa skidded around the last corner before the evacuation center. No sooner did she spot the bustle of medical and fire personnel ushering evacuees around then did she call out, “We have another extreme case!”

Almost everyone turned at her voice. Like every other time, there was a moment of surprise at her appearance and then some paramedics would rush forward with a stretcher to take the wounded person off of her. Then they rushed them off towards waiting medical helicopters for transportation to a burn ward.

Tsubasa took a moment to watch the medics wheel away the burn victim before starting to turn to head back into the fire. But before she could leap forward again, her communicator crackled and Tomosato’s voice came over the radio. “Tsubasa-san, we’ve finished sweeping the town. There’s no more lifesigns in any sectors: everyone’s been evacuated or… has passed on. Shirabe-chan is bringing out the last person we found. All the others are also heading back. Good work.”

The blue-haired swordswoman paused, a frown working it’s way across her face. Was that really it? That couldn’t have been everyone. If they missed someone…

The memory of the dead Major’s hand sticking out of the rubble flashed through her mind. It quickly meshed together with that of Yatsushiro, with the girl Millaarc had killed, with Kanade. Tsubasa looked around for that fire chief Hori Hideki from earlier. She quickly spotted him approaching but before she could call out, she noticed he was carrying a cup of coffee.

“You barely look out of breath, but you’ve got to be thirsty running around all those flames.” He said as he offered the cup to her.

“The Symphogear’s defensive functions can filter out any harmful elements in the air.” Tsubasa replied. Although she left out the exceptions of LiNKER and Anti-LiNKER, whose very nature bypassed the fields. Despite her words, she accepted the cup. It would help her destress. It was a bit lacking in sugar for her tastes, but she supposed Hideki would have been just guessing how she liked her coffee.

She blew quietly on the drink to cool it a little and the action brought to mind the first time she really met Hibiki, just after responding to the detection of Gungnir. She took a sip. “We’ve gotten everyone out. Tsukuyomi is bringing out the last person we’ve found. Do you need us anywhere else?”

Hideki shook his head. “We’ve got the firebreaks set up, extinguished all the minor blazes on the edge, and the firestorm’s reached its maximum extent. So it’s just a matter of waiting for it to burn itself out now. The medical teams are treating all the wounded who you’ve brought in, or all those who managed to get out on their own power.”

“I see.” Tsubasa said, taking the opportunity to take a longer pull from the cup of coffee. She noted that Hideki seemed to be eyeing her as if he was searching for any sort of burn or injury, not quite believing she was unharmed despite the fact she had unhesitatingly leapt into the fires with the others. She decided to ignore that as she turned to wait for her friends.

Miku appeared first, skimming in over the rooftops with her ionocraft, almost immediately followed by Shirabe coming straight down the main road in her monowheel, the last person they found looking somewhat comical in her arms given how much bigger they were. The other four girls appeared shortly thereafter almost simultaneously, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.

Their collective approach was noticed by the bustling firefighters, medical personnel, and SDF troops. A cheer from the crowd, with quite a bit of applause, went up as they came into land and Tsubasa stepped forward to greet them, along with a medical team to take the person Shirabe had brought out.

Tsubasa and Maria, taking cues from their idol careers, quietly acknowledged the cheering crowd with a glance and some smiles. But they noted how the other adaptors, more unused to such a reception, reacted: Hibiki and Kirika paused in surprise before waving back to the crowd while Miku politely bowed in appreciation after recovering from her own surprise. Shirabe glanced around in bewilderment before deciding to act as if it wasn’t happening. Chris blushed and scratched at her cheek in embarrassment, not willing to meet the eyes of anybody.

Tsubasa quickly filled the others in on how their services weren’t needed any more. Tired smiles spread across all of their faces, the exhaustion more a mental reaction to the horrors they’d witnessed than any physical strain.

“Your helicopters had to rebase to make room for the medevac choppers.” Hideki told them. “Do you want to wait for them in one of the prefab shelters where we’re hosting the evacuees?”

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble.” Maria said, the others nodding in agreement. Hideki led them over to the nearest one. The crowd parted respectfully before them, every person offering a respectful and somewhat awed nod and even a few bows of gratitude.

Hideki led them into the prefab shelter: a massive tent with a spartan interior and filled with hastily put down futons. Inside, there were plenty of civilians who had fled the city along with SDF personnel and medical teams moving among the people, distributing supplies.

There were some reporters and their cameras in the shelter too. Chris grimaced a little when she spotted them. Fortunately, they seemed to be ‘on the scene’ sorts and while some briefly pointed to the adaptor’s as they came in, they had the good sense to realize that now was not the time to even try approaching them for any sort of questioning and quickly turned their attention back to their cameras to continue giving their report.

A few people near the entrance glanced over when the adaptors entered, then did a double take and looked again. They nudged their neighbors, quickly whispering and pointing out the Symphogear users. A surprised silence fell over the shelter as the attention spread and more heads turned. The girls paused in response, shifting awkwardly.

As one, seemingly everyone in the shelter cheered, with quite a few people applauding and plenty of shouts of gratitude and support. Once again, after recovering from her surprise at the cheers, Hibiki lifted her arm and waved her thanks. This whole getting recognized was quite a new experience, but she found it wasn’t unwelcome. Her smile abruptly vanished, however, as she felt something poke at one of her Symphogear’s metal pads on her upper legs, located just below her skirt. She glanced down in surprise and saw that a little boy, probably five or six years old had walked up and was prodding at the lower bits of her Gear armor.

“Ryo!” One of the nearby women, undoubtedly the boy's mother, said in alarm as she followed Hibiki’s gaze and spotted the boy, rushing forward to pull him away. Only to come to a halt as Hibiki called out.

“No, it’s alright!” Turning back to the boy, Hibiki crouched down in front of the boy, smiling kindly and offering her gauntlet-clad hand. Hesitantly, he reached out and laid his hand on the metal gauntlets on the back of her hand before running his fingers up to the mechanism on her forearm.

“What does it feel like to wear?” He asked as he poked at it, as if trying to see whether the metal would give way.

Hibiki giggled slightly. “You know, I’ve never really thought about that. I suppose it feels like...” She paused, humming to herself for a moment. “You know that feeling you get in the morning, when you’ve been up for a few hours and all the tiredness from waking up is gone and you feel all full of energy? It sort of feels like that, I guess.”

He looked up at her strangely for a moment before returning his attention down to her arms. ”Huh.” After a few more moments he added. “Why do the soldiers call you ‘Lovebird’?”

Hibiki blushed, merely averting her eyes and laughing nervously.

Encouraged by Hibiki’s gentle treatment of the boy, more young children began to approach the adaptors. Their parents hovered nearby, unsure if they should intervene. On the one hand, they were worried that their children might embarrass themselves or get hurt in some manner in approaching the superheroines. But on the other hand, they were not sure if they would offend the girls if they tried to pull their kids away.

Miku glanced down as a few kids huddled around her. “Can you really fly in this?” One boy asked. “What does it feel like?”

“Yes, I can fly.” Miku answered the first question right away. She paused for a moment to close her eyes, remembering the moment with Hibiki. “And it can feel wonderful…”

“Cool!” The boy marvelled. “Hey, do you think you could give me a ride?”

Miku giggled a little. “I don’t think your parents would be very happy with that.”

The boy pouted at that. Another girl had a more practical concern. She poked at Miku’s gown that surrounded her Ionocraft modules, an eyebrow raising as it didn’t seem to give way like cloth or fabric should. “How did you get through the door?”

Miku started at that. She quickly looked down at the dress then back at the entrance to the shelter, doing a quick estimate on the two’s dimensions. Finally, she tilted her head in confusion. “I… don’t know?”

“Shirabe!” At Kirika’s panicked voice, Shirabe turned quickly only to find the scythe wielder in quite the predicament: she was surrounded by little children, her scythe raised well above her head so none of them could grab at it and paralyzed in fear as if they were a bunch of ravenous squirrels. The Igalima user let out a pleading “Dess.”

Shirabe lifted a hand to cover her amused grin as she moved forward to assist her girlfriend. With a quiet authority, she crouched down and said softly but firmly, “Does anyone want a skate ride?”

All the children around Kirika froze and turned to Shirabe. A beat past. Then, as one they surged forward, baying for the opportunity to be the first.

Tsubasa quietly slid her sword into her leg compartment as a group of children moved to crowd in around her. She was used to fans, but they tended to be more her age with only the occasional child. She abruptly stiffened as one child, a little girl, surged forward from the rest and hugged her leg.

“Mama said you managed to get her away from the fire.” The girl said. “Thank you so much.”

Unsure how to react, Tsubasa glanced over at Maria and was struck by the motherly smile on the pinkette's face as she calmly addressed each child.

One boy shuffled bashfully as he glanced over her armor. "You're very pretty."

Maria graced him with an indulgent smile. "Why, thank you."

“C-come on.” Chris muttered uncomfortably as another group of children prodded at her armor, “Don’t you guys have anything better to do then poke at me?” But her complaint was half-hearted and she made no real effort to physically try to drive them away. They seemed to be particularly interested in trying to see if they could make the ring around her waist move.

“E-excuse me, Yukine-sama?” Chris turned at an unfamiliar voice to find another boy, this time a teenager just a few years younger then her, nervously shuffling on his feet. Chris frowned slightly at the honorific.

“Yeah? Can I help you?” She asked, tilting her head slightly.

The boy took a deep breath to steady himself and then thrust out a sheet of paper with a pen. “I have a sister who's a really big fan. Could I get your autograph for her?”

Chris’s mind went blank for a moment. She had fans? Sure, there was that one person on the ‘net who had asked for an autograph, but it was one thing to read a request from a distant overseas stranger on a computer screen. It was quite another to have someone come right up to her.

Glancing around told her she wasn’t the only one getting these requests. Other teens and young adults around their ages had worked up the courage to follow the kids in, papers and pens in hand. Idly, Chris noted that Hibiki was getting the bulk of them, but there were still quite a few also shyly approaching the other adaptors.

“W-Well…” She quickly said when she realized she probably was silent a moment too long, trying to cover her surprise at the sudden request with some bravado. “I guess it wouldn’t be much of a problem!” She took the offered paper and hastily scrawled her name out. She tried to ignore the funny feeling in her chest as she did so.

“Thank you!” The boy excitedly grinned as she handed back the paper. “You and your friends do so much for us!” He quickly scampered off. Watching him go, Chris couldn’t help the slight smile that came over her face.

It was a smile that slid right back off her face when she noticed another young boy, probably five or so, sitting on a lone futon. Unlike the other children, he hadn’t made any attempt to approach the adaptors and just sat there, looking downcast at the bedding. After a glance to check on the others, who were still dealing with the fans asking for autographs, she began to move through the crowd towards the kid, ignoring the way the adults respectfully stood aside as she passed.

“Hey.” The Ichaival user greeted him. The kid looked up at that and his eyes widened in surprise. Chris quickly preempted anything from him though. “Where are your parents?”

The kid quickly looked away at that. “Papa was upstairs.” He said. “Mama… she was on the front porch. I was in the backyard. Then the light came and there was a big roar and…” His voice hitched. “When I woke up they were…”

Chris’s heart sank. She could piece together what had happened from his broken story. Kneeling down, in front of the kid, she placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. He looked back up at her, tears in his eyes. “I’m sorry.” She said. “I lost my parents too.”

“I’m not sad!” The kid’s voice rose in childish anger, hastily trying to rub at his eyes. “I’m a big boy, and boys aren’t supposed to cry!”

Chris frowned only slightly, but she didn’t raise her voice in response. “It’s okay. This is something even boys can cry about.”

The child stared at her for a long moment, Chris met his eyes unerringly. ‘Let it out,’ her own eyes said, ‘you shouldn’t bottle it all up.’ The boy’s lip quivered at that, the tears springing back. Then he threw himself forward, burying his head in the crook of Chris’s neck as he began to sob. Gently, Chris reached up and returned the hug, rubbing the boys back and letting him cry into her neck.

“I’m sorry.” She repeated quietly.

Across the room, one of the reporters watching the adaptors quickly raised his camera and began taking pictures. Chris didn’t notice that. At the moment, all that mattered was this child and his pain. She wasn’t sure how long she remained there, letting the boy cry into her. But she was willing to stay as long as she had too.

“Yukine-sama,” Chris looked up to find a nervous looking nurse had approached them. “While we appreciate your assistance, we need to conduct Takei-san’s medical check-up now.”

“Alright, I get it.” Chris said. Gently, she released the boy, Takei, from the hug and placed her hands on his shoulders. “Hey, the doctors need to make sure that you are still healthy and strong. You have to be brave and go with the nurse here.” She wiped one of the last tears out of his eyes. “Can you do that for me?”

Takei nodded, sniffling. “Thanks, onee-san. You're really cool.”

Chris gave an encouraging smile before nodding up to the nurse. She watched Takei be carried off to his medical exam until he disappeared around a curtain. Turning away, she wondered if his parents were one of the burnt corpses she had seen deep in the town closest to the shoreline, and felt a familiar anger at the Horsemen flare up in her. The urge to punch something was overwhelming, and she only just had the presence of mind to duck out of the shelter into the deepening night and release her transformation before slamming her fist into the wall.

“Damnit!” She bit out, feeling a little better.

“Chris?” A familiar voice asked and she turned to find that Miku, having likewise dropped back into her SONG uniform, had followed her out. “Are you alright?”

“Just got pissed at those assholes.” Chris grumbled, looking out in the direction of the mushroom cloud, though it was obscured by the smoke from the burning town. And probably gone by now, come to think of it. How many people died today because of the Horsemen?

“Oh.” Miku said. “Do you need a moment?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry, I’ll be in soon.”

Miku studied the Ichaival user for a moment before nodding and going back into the shelter. Chris lingered for a few seconds, wrestling her emotions into place. Turning back towards the entrance, she sucked in a deep breath of hot, dry August night air… and started hacking as she inhaled a bit of soot from the fires.

“Jeeze, give me a break already.” She muttered to herself before walking back inside.

A few seconds later, the Pale Man stepped out of the deepening shadows over to where Chris had been. He examined the section of wall she had punched, studying the wet spot where the patch of ice had formed and then swiftly melted.

His gaze turned to the doorway of the shelter Chris had departed through, a frown working across his face. This was early. Far too early. Things shouldn’t be developing this fast. What had changed? How was he going to adjust for this?

He glanced again at the wet patch and, on a whim, brought out a handkerchief to wipe the humidity away. Regardless of the reason why, at least this narrowed a list of possibilities. At least, when it came to Chris Yukine. Returning the handkerchief to his coat, he turned and took a moment to inspect the rising columns of smoke from the raging firestorm.

Thermonuclear weaponry.

The pinnacle thus far of humanity’s destructive potential and yet a mere portent of what they could possibly achieve. A power that finally could begin to threaten the Custodians and their own quest, without any need for metaphysical alteration. A power born of humanity’s intelligence, imperfect understanding, and it’s endless struggle to deal with that fact.

A struggle he couldn’t permit to be threatened or constrained, by  _ anything _ . Because if it did, then things would be just like  _ before _ . How… interminable that would be. Fortunately, if everything went just right, a solution would soon be at hand.

The Pale Man cast one last glance at the shelter's entrance before he vanished into the night.

\----

Tsubasa quietly glanced around to make sure nobody she really knew was following her as she made her way back towards Kamogawa. She was the only one who hadn’t released her transformation yet and that naturally drew the attention of the various emergency and SDF personnel, but none thought to question her or impede her path. What reason would they have to think such a hero was up to something after all? Instead, they limited themselves to clearing a path for her and granting respectful and slightly awed nods.

On the one hand, Tsubasa was grateful for the lack of impediment. On the other, she was worried it might mean her friends would notice she was sneaking back out if they thought to keep an eye out for the sea of parting personnel. Finally, she broke through the perimeter, making her way past the last few teams. Smoke still rose from the town and the firestorm was still visible as a. The firefighters had indicated the storm was in its final throes, close to burning itself out. But Tsubasa didn’t want to leave anything too chance. The swordswoman drew Ame no Habakiri back out of its compartment and readied herself to leap forward… 

“And where do you think you are going?” Maria asked from behind the bluenette, her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

“Maria!” Tsubasa started as she spun around. She forgot how quiet Maria could be when she wanted to. Her friend had been spending too much time around Ogawa.

“You know there’s nobody left alive in there?” Maria continued. “They have drones with sensors running around, and nobody would be foolish enough to be trying to take countermeasures against them in the middle of a firestorm.”

“Those scanners aren’t perfect.” Tsubasa said defensively, fingering Ame no Habakiri nervously.

“So you  _ are  _ trying to go back in there.”

“Are you going to stop me, Maria?” Tsubasa asked in a quiet voice.

“I don’t have my transformation up,” Maria said with a shrug. “So I can’t stop you. I just want you to look me in the eye and tell me that you’re not going back out there out of misguided guilt.”

Tsubasa clenched her fists. “Maria, you don’t understand. So many good people have missing family members. How many uncles, how many fathers, and how many Kanades could be missing out there?!”

“‘Uncles, fathers, and Kanades,’ huh?” Maria crossed her arms across her chest. “I knew it. You’ve been way too quiet about the loss of your uncle this past month. You still haven’t let go of that pain.”

A look of real anger overtook Tsubasa. “I don’t want to let go of the pain! I don’t want to get to the point where I feel nothing at the loss of my loved ones.” A sudden gust of wind blew her hair dramatically aside. “And besides, who are you to talk? You’ve lost your sister and mother. Don’t tell me you don’t feel anything for them, because I know that’s not true.”

“Leave Serena and Mom out of this.” Maria hissed. One could see the energy crackling around her. “We’re talking about you, and what you’re up to! You’ve been hiding it pretty well, but I’ve gotten to know you pretty well this past year and a half. Every time something bad happens, every time you’ve gotten hurt, you clam up and embrace your role as a sword. You dive into all of your duties like a mad woman, never giving a second thought about anything else. And given what I’ve heard about your time before Hibiki showed up, this is nothing new either. So why don’t you tell me what this is really about?”

“I don’t want to… I just… I just want…” The wind died down, and Tsubasa looked at the ground. “Do you know what I felt when my uncle died, when I heard he’d been killed by Voronin? I felt nothing. It was just numbness. Like it was just natural for me to lose another person I love.”

“Tsubasa,” Maria said sympathetically.

But Tsubasa continued. “My uncle basically raised me. While grandfather treated me as a tool and father kept his distance, my uncle was there for me. He raised me. And yet… when he died, I just thought ‘ah, there he goes.’” She placed her hands over her eyes to cover up the tears. “I have to do this, Maria. This isn’t about forgetting the pain. It’s about keeping me grounded. And making up for all those I have failed!”

Maria stiffened at that. “You failed? What do you mean?”

Tsubasa curled in on herself slightly, clutching each of her arms. “I thought it would be different this time. It wasn’t a concert after all. Just a nice little ceremony. We come in, get the medals pinned, listen to the General give a little speech. But yet again… once again…” Tears welled up in her eyes and she began to turn away.

Maria reached out and seized Tsubasa’s hand. “Look at me Tsubasa.”

The bluenette fidgeted, but didn’t raise her eyes. Maria grabbed her chin by her free hand and, in spite of the Symphogear armor, yanked the surprised woman’s head around.

“ _ Look at me. _ ” The pinkette ground out again, before softening her tone considerably. “What happened today is not your fault. It is nobody’s fault except the Horsemen. You did your best, responded the best you could. And how many more would have died if you hadn’t been there? You are a sentinel and you have not failed in that task today.”

Maria smiled warmly as she released the swordswoman’s chin. “Even if that isn’t all you are.”

Maria pulled the stunned Tsubasa into a hug, her warmth enveloping Tsubasa’s entire body. The bluenette shuddered in the pinkette’s embrace. “Tsubasa,” she said. “I’m sorry for the things you’ve lost. That we’ve lost. But you aren’t to blame for this.”

“No, I’m sorry,” Tsubasa said, her own hands going around Maria’s back. “I don’t know how to handle my emotions. You’ve lost just as much as I have, if not more, yet you’re the one comforting me.”

“It helps that I have so many people I can rely on, and so many people that rely on me.” Maria replied. “If you think you need to do this, to help you, then I’ll help you with that. I’ll transform, and the two of us will make one last sweep. Just… promise that you won’t try and hide this from your friends in the future?”

“I will.” Tsubasa smiled, though tears remained in her eyes. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

\----

“We’ll have the cars waiting. Out.” Tomosato said, a tired smile crossing her face before she turned to Commander Ogawa. “They’re on the way back. They are still going to head over to Tsubasa’s, although I think they are going to hold off on Maria’s party until tomorrow.”

“Good.” Shinji sighed in exhaustion. “It looks like that wraps things up at Kamogawa.”

“Initial damage reports from the port are in.” Fujitaka reported. “The hospital was hit.”

Commander Ogawa straightened up at that in alarm. “Emily?”

“She was evacuated to the shelter.” Fujitaka quickly clarified. “But nobody thought to evacuate the…” He paused and glanced down at the lower ranks for a moment. “The five-four-fives. Most of the hospital staff didn’t even know about them. The wing was completely burnt out by incendiaries. We’re still looking for any remains.”

Ogawa swiftly shoved away the brief pang of guilt and sadness. As unfortunate as their deaths were, those clones were not the girls. Instead, he chose to focus on what the news meant. It seemed a little too convenient that the Horsemen would have struck just the right hospital with just the ideal sort of weapons to destroy biological material purely on accident.

He’d have to talk with his brother about that.

“I see.” He said, not giving voice to his thoughts. “Keep me updated on what they find. Anything else?”

“We got a message from the Japanese government.” Tomosato said, her voice becoming dry. “Apparently, they are considering rewarding the girls with the Order of the Rising Sun.“

A moment's silence hung over the room as everyone contemplated exactly how the battle today had begun. Finally, Fujitaka gave a long sigh. “Can they just send it to them in the mail this time?”

Chuckles echoed around the room at the quip, a wave of some much needed levity after an afternoon, evening, and early-night of combat, stress, and catastrophe. Even Ogawa gave a tired little smile. “Who has the night shift?”

“That’d be me, sir.” One of the lower-rankers down in the lower section of the bridge spoke up. “I’m still up for it.”

“Thank you, Kashiyama-san.” Commander Ogawa nodded down before turning for the door. “Everyone finish wrapping up here, I’ll be in my office.”

He cleared the door, paused, and then sighed, letting his exhaustion break the facade momentarily where no one could see him. Gathering himself up, he began making his way down the hallway, his thoughts on the inevitable UN teleconference in the morning.  Kazushige would undoubtedly be under a lot of pressure for immediate action, and perhaps Becker as well. The problem was they didn’t have anything actionable at the moment. The last indicators they had on the Horsemen’s activity before today was their probing of the security at Suiten’s club, but that hardly was something they could point the girl’s at. Maybe Souji had found some additional intelligence in the meantime.

At least, Shinji hoped so. What would he do if he had to go up before the Oversight Committee with almost nothing?  _ ‘What would Genjuro do in that case?’ _

Commander Ogawa musing was interrupted by his arrival at the door to his office. Resigning himself to the possibility of disappointment on the intelligence front, Shinji opened the door and immediately saw Souji sitting across from his own desk, the older brother’s back facing the door.

“Nii-san.” Shinji said as he stepped into the office. “Any word from your contacts?”

Souji didn’t answer.

“Nii-san?” Shinji asked again, quickly rounding the desk and looking down at his older brother’s chair. The sight made his blood chill.

The bare downturn of Souji’s lips. The way his eyes were minutely scrunched. The tenseness in his clasped hands. Shinji supposed the difference would be invisible to pretty much anyone else, but he had not seen his brother this distraught since their mother died.

“Nii-san?” Full concern slid into Shinji’s voice. “What is it?”

Souji’s head lifted minutely as he looked up. An outside observer would not have really noticed anything, but to Shinji’s eyes the movement was slightly too sluggish compared to Souji’s usual, calculated movements. His brother was in shock. Shinji noted that his brother’s phone lay on the desk, although it had gone to the screensaver. Finally, Souji spoke just three, simple words. “Suiten is dead.”

\----

Several hours earlier, Suiten Ogawa plopped down onto the Noise shelter’s bed. He stretched out and cocked his head, listening to the distant wail of the siren. Under all this steel and concrete, it was a distant, muffled whine that one really had to pay attention.

“Was it really necessary to find an empty room?” Suiten asked the quiet nondescript man in a business suit, leaning against one of the bedposts with his eyes on the door room’s door.

“We didn’t secure this shelter like we did your clubhouse.” Toru Nakatani replied. Suiten knew him well. Toru was essentially the Ogawa clan’s go-to as a bodyguard whenever a threat to Suiten’s life materialized.

Then again, this was the first time his life had been threatened by the Jwa. From the stories he had heard, they were on a whole ‘nother level. But Suiten wasn’t one to worry, he had left behind the clan precisely to get away from such stress. It was a pity that his family’s problems were so insistent on following him though.

“Can’t you at least have a seat?” He asked, indicating the bed.

But Toru shook his head. “I have to stay sha-”

There was a sudden commotion in the hallways: shouting and screams from the other residents and followed by several gunshots, although there weren’t any cries of pain. In an instant, Toru tensed, falling into a measured fighting stance, drawing the pistol in his coat and levelling it at the door. Simultaneously, Suiten rolled off the bed and quickly kicked it over, putting it between himself and the door.

There was more shouting, and then a static electronic voice rang out: “[All Shelter Residents, Remain In The Rooms. Cooperate And You Will Not Be Harmed.]”

There was more shouting outside, several more gunshots. And then finally, silence. Suiten chanced a look across the overturned bed, shooting a questioning glance at Toru. The Ninja waved at him to stay down, his gun held at the ready as he carefully crept towards the door to the room.

The door’s latch turned and Toru stopped, aiming right at it. His finger hovered on the trigger, ready to fire the moment Jwa or the first staple stuck their head through. The door swung open and…

Nothing. There was nothing standing in front of it.

Toru resisted the temptation to move forward and glance down the halls, keeping his pistol and eyes firmly on the door. He readied himself for a flashbang or smoke grenade to fly through the entrance. But nothing continued to insist on happening.

“Is everything alright?” Behind him, Ogawa again chanced a glance over his overturned bed. Toru opened his mouth to reply, his eyes still locked on the door.

Jwa’s  _ Chilseong  _ bisected the Ninja cleanly across the middle from his left.

Suiten yelped. It had been instantaneous: one moment there was nothing, the very next Toru had been sliced in two. But Jwa was already moving again, spinning around and rolling forward just in time, a bullet passing right through where her head had been as Toru fired. Simultaneously, the bisected piece of wood that Toru had replaced himself with clattered to the ground.

The relatively small size of the room meant Jwa’s roll brought her right up to Toru, her sword swinging up through Toru once again. But the Ninja blurred, his figure seeming to leap to the left and right at once. Jwa didn’t pause and she didn’t look twice. Instead, she stabbed forward at a seemingly empty spot between the ninjutsu clones.

There was the sound of steel tearing through flesh and the clones vanished, leaving just Toru himself, Jwa’s Chilseongeum embedded straight through his heart. A look of surprise was stuck on the Ninja’s face. The world seemed still for a moment, then Jwa yanked her sword back out and turned back to Suiten as Toru’s corpse toppled to the floor.

“Waiting for you here was much easier after all.” Jwa mused as she levelled her gaze at Suiten. “Are you ready to accept your fate, Ogawa scum?”

Suiten knew he was dead. All he had kept up on were the basic self-defense techniques he had learned as a child, before their father passed away and his brother permitted him to move on with his own life. What few Ninja tricks he managed to learn had atrophied from lack of practice and he had never even reached the more advanced ones. Against Jwa, he was no match.

Nevertheless, he raised his fists. He wasn’t about to give up on life. “I don’t suppose I can’t try to talk you out of this? It’s been more than a decade since our families last clashed, after all.”

“We both know that isn’t an option.” She answered evenly. “Do you really think a decade of inaction is enough to forget a century of pain?”

Suiten started to reply, but Jwa was done talking. She rushed forward, almost a blur. He tried to jerk aside, roll out of the way of her charge, but he had barely begun to move when a burning, stabbing pain lanced through his stomach. The next thing he knew, he was staring at the ceiling, Jwa looming over him.

Dully, his eyes went from her to the hilt of her sword and then down the length of the blade to where it terminated in his stomach. Blood flowed freely from the gashing wound.

“Heaven sends out the spirit and the earth helps the spirit.” Jwa chanted as Suiten’s life drained from his eyes. “The sun and moon were shaped and the mountains and rivers were formed.” With the last of his strength, the youngest Ogawa tried to yank the sword from his chest but his hands did nothing more than feebly scrabble at the edges of his blade.

“Thunder and lightning blast out, moving the universe.” Jwa said as Suiten finally stilled. Slowly, she began to remove the sword as she continued reciting the engraving on her Chilseong’s side. “I will defeat the great evil and cut it with dexterity."

Flicking the blood off of it, she returned the sword to its sheath, and bowed her head towards Suiten’s body. “The Evil-Slicing Blade of the Dragon's Light."

Silence hung over the room for a moment in the aftermath of her proclamation.

Her quiet reverie was broken by Gowon’s voice. “Does that pagan recitation really fulfill you?”

Jerking her head-up, Jwa spotted the African man standing at the doorway to the room, his machine gun casually slung across his chest. “Save it.” She snapped, stalking forward. “I didn’t come here to hear you proselytizing. Besides, it’s not like  ** _you’re _ ** one to talk.”

“Whether the Lord forgives me is in His hands, but His grace will not come without belief.” Gowon said, although he stepped aside to let the Korean woman past.

“Perhaps I’d put more stock in him if he was not so mysterious.” Jwa sniffed as she stepped past him into the shelter hallway. Deciding to preempt any further attempts at conversion, she quickly changed the subject. “Your part of the job is done?”

“The Staples have the other residents covered and I’ve disabled the shelter's communications system.” Gowon confirmed, all business now. “The charges Caprice set to collapse the entrance are ready.” He cocked his head curiously. “What about the other residents?”

Jwa shrugged. “Neither I nor the Horsemen have any business with them. With the bomb detonating and the streets above deserted, it will be hours until someone notices the shelter isn’t communicating and it’ll take quite a bit of additional time to dig them out. Lock them up and leave them for the rescue services.”

Gowon nodded as he keyed his communicator, ordering the Staples standing at each doorway to shut and lock them. Jwa took the brief pause to stretch, feeling the intricate weaves of the nanosuit stretch with her, and unwinding some knots in her muscles. She frowned contemplatively. An Ogawa was dead, she should be glad... so why didn’t she feel any differently?

As the Korean agent ruminated on that, Gowon finished issuing the instructions and turned back to Jwa, deciding to make another little attempt. “Are you really satisfied with this?”

“I won’t be satisfied until all the Ogawa are dead.” Jwa said venomously as they headed for the shelter's exit. But the harsh tone quickly vanished. “But for now, this will do. I have no more objections to leaving on our next deployment.”

“Have you ever been to Shanghai?” Gowon asked, letting the conversation flow for the moment. Besides, he was curious. He had never been to China. Behind them, the noise of doors slamming, locks being engaged, and combat boots echoed through the hallway as the Staples carried out their orders.

“A few times. Three times for the South and once for the North.” Jwa smiled wryly. “None of them were assassination missions though.”

\----

**Next Chapter** : Fallout

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Several things happened with this chapter for it to take so long. First, I had to write a paper for my class. Then, Stellaris X-Pack dropped and that stuff is crack to me. Then, I had to shake-up my beta rosters for reasons I won’t go into right now, for privacy’s sake, which imposed its own delays. So that’s why this took longer than usual.  
I was surprised by XDU’s Kimono Rumble event in global and how it actually slightly handles a few of Geah's getting a… sort of public attention. There’s not a lot of it, but what little there is mostly shows the relevant girls reacting how I have them reacting in similar situations, so I’m glad I’m apparently getting that right. Or as right as the writers of XDU figured it would be, anyways.
> 
> Also, one of my new beta’s encouraged me to standardize on honorific use. As they put it, “either go full weeb or no weeb”. So, I decided to go full weeb and try to use honorifics more accurately starting from this chapter on. I may go back and edit previous chapters to better reflect the new policy at a later date.
> 
> Finally, a bit of a technical note on the nuke since some of my more… physics-minded beta’s asked this question: I’m exercising a bit of narrative license on the damage here, because the exact effects from a oceanic subsurface burst that is nonetheless is still big and close enough to the surface enough that the fireball manages to breach the surface of the water would have on a nearby coastal community is a bit unclear. Frankly put: nukemap doesn’t have that setting, so I’m treating it as a surface burst for story purposes and so I don’t have to pull out one of those goddamn 1950s manual blast calculators that I barely comprehend.
> 
> Stay safe from CoVid, everyone.


	24. Fallout

Distortions  
Chapter 24  
Fallout

\----

  
[15Z601 Secure Access. Please Enter Authentication: ******* ]  
[Authentication Verified]  
[BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA Clearance Verified]  
[Archival Request Granted]  
[15Z601 Audio Log #61323-F-1202. Date: 08/06/2045 1742 GMT]  
[NOTE: Log Classified BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA. Per Red Unit COMSEC Protocols, TFH-WU Callsigns Are Used For Speakers.]  
  
[15Z601 Link Established. Log Begins.]  
  
**The Lamb:** Red Unit has secured the line.  
**A404: **Where is Professor-108?  
**P110: **He’s delivering some blueprints to the Sabin team. The latest suggestion on the containment mechanisms. Sir... are you alright?  
**The Lamb: **Yes, just a little disappointed. Expected we’d be able to destroy SONG's headquarters. That would have been a wonderful blow.  
**A404: **We did not know that Sierra-7 had been training for mass air combat.  
**The Lamb: **No, but it should have been something we anticipated. They had the physical capability, counting on them to not realize it was an oversight. At least the warhead got through.  
**P110: **Sir… about the bomb… some of my subordinates...  
[Significant Pause Recorded]  
**The Lamb: **What? What is it?  
**P110: **They expressed… moral objections about it.  
**A404: **If I may add to that, sir, I ordered a status update from all Fifth Seal cells shortly after the message went public. A number have not reported in. Even accounting for time discrepancies, the warhead may have convinced them to cut ties.  
**The Lamb: **Understandable, and something we have accounted for. The compartmentalized nature of the Fifth Seal will limit the damage there. None are under any active orders at the moment. Further rogues in the Pale Unit, however, are more concerning. Have you heard such sentiments from any out-labs?  
**P110:** A few.  
**The Lamb: **Sound out the others. Personally if you can, but if you know good people for it have them do it instead. Compile a list, send it over to Agent-404 here. We’ll task Red Unit and additional, reliable cells to keep an eye on them. If we have to burn some of our own… well, nothing is sacred. That’s sort of the point. As for those working in-lab who show concerns, apply restrictions but only the subtle ones. Do _not _do anything retributive unless they try to act on them without consultation.  
**P110: **But what should we _tell _them?  
**The Lamb: **The truth. Or near enough a version of the truth: we tailored the warhead to ensure one hundred percent destruction of the targets. The collateral damage is regrettable, but unavoidable. The relics had to be destroyed before they could be collected and turned into more Symphogears. Emphasize Sumphonia for those who know about it. Point out that Charlie-Alpha-3 killed far more for far more selfish reasons. Tailor the wording as you needed to best convince each individual.  
**P110: **Yes, sir. I understand.  
**The Lamb: **Do you? What do _you _think about those deaths, Professor?  
**P110:** I… [Significant Pause Recorded] I try _not _to think about them sir. I prefer to focus on my work. It’s far more exciting.  
**The Lamb: **If that is your choice, I can respect that. If you have doubts, I can also respect that. Come to me, I will happily discuss them with you. What I _can’t _tolerate is unilateral action.  
**P110: **Yes sir, if that’s the case, I do have one question. Are you not worried about retaliation?  
**The Lamb: **Yes and no. Nuclear use, outside of certain circumstances, is ultimately much more political than it is military. I should know. And as much as they like to play up the moral aspects of this conflict in public, politicians are not nearly so selfless as they pretend. Get into their mindset, make them think you are playing by rules acceptable to them, and you can manipulate them a fair bit. Speaking of which, Agent-404, has the letter been sent?  
**A404: **Yes sir. What about the cells that have discontinued contact?  
**The Lamb: **Were any of them assigned to anything sensitive?  
**A404: **One. Cell-532 has some knowledge of the deal with the Chinese elements.  
**The Lamb: **What? That… [Significant Pause Recorded] Actually, that could work for us.  
**A404: **Are you sure, sir? Scenario-44 could be imperiled.  
**The Lamb: **Or it could be advanced. Chance does not know sides, Agent. It’s all about how you use it. We’ll have a further conversation, once Professor-108 returns. Be ready with details on 532.  
  
[15Z601 Link Terminated. Log Ends]  
  


\----

  
Tsubasa blinked awake at a distinct feeling in her bladder and scowled. She probably shouldn’t have had that coffee. The swordswoman shrugged the blanket off carefully, so as not to disturb Maria sleeping peacefully next to her. How strange that Kondo couldn’t find an additional futon, but there was no way she was letting one of her friends sleep without a blanket.  
  
Rising to her feet, Tsubasa glanced over the room both to plot out her course to the door and make sure her friends were okay. It had been a stressful day, after all. She couldn’t help the small smile that came over her face as she took in the scene.  
  
Once, Tsubasa had asked Miku how she managed to get a good night’s rest in the same bed as Hibiki, given how messy a sleeper she was. To Tsubasa’s immense confusion, Miku had no idea what she was talking about. Now, the bluenette could see why: Hibiki’s sleeping habits were radically calmer when she was alongside Miku. The two faced each other in their shared futon in a perfect picture of peace, one of their hands clasped together poking out from underneath the cover.  
  
The same couldn’t be said for Kirika, who clearly still had her habit of wrapping both her arms and legs around something when asleep, even when that something _was_ her girlfriend. Although it didn’t disturb Shirabe. Indeed, she seemed to prefer it judging by the way her head rested against Kirika’s chest. Tsubasa frowned at that, running a hand down her own front. Was the blonde really younger than her?  
  
At least Chris wasn’t any different, with her arms and legs flung about in a most undignified fashion. Tsubasa resisted the temptation to grab her phone and snap a photo to embarrass her kouhai later. She had more urgent business to attend to first.  
  
With flawless practice, Tsubasa quietly and expertly crossed the room. It was only when she opened the door that the realization struck her. There were five futons and seven people, considering that three of the former were each shared by two of the latter, they had an excess futon.  
  
Oh, of course, Komichi. Tsubasa stared down at the odd futon out, located furthest apart from the others yet closest to Chris. And completely empty. Tsubasa couldn’t believe she had forgotten their… well, was “newest addition” really the right word? She wasn’t an adaptor.  
  
But why should that matter? She was important to Chris, and as far as Tsubasa was concerned, that alone made her important to _all _of them.  
  
And she wasn’t here. Tsubasa couldn’t help but worry. Perhaps, Komichi just stepped out for the same reason the ex-idol was. But the brunette's timid behavior all day made Tsubasa suspect otherwise.  
  
Stiffening her resolve, Tsubasa marched forward. Komichi still had to be somewhere on the grounds. Perhaps, the bluenette could help her. And in doing so, help Chris.  
  
Plus, she was going out anyways.  
  
Tsubasa found the brunette sitting on a stone next to the pond near the mansion’s front wall, on the other side of the path from the rebuilt keystone which guarded the local leyline. She was slightly illuminated by moonlight filtering down through the clouds. Tsubasa approached quietly but she wasn’t sure whether the measures were necessary. Komichi’s attention was riveted to the water.  
  
Tsubasa let the silence hang for another moment before she cleared her throat. “Trouble sleeping, Ayano?”  
  
Komichi’s reaction would have been amusing if not for the consequences. The brunette tried to simultaneously leap to her feet and twist around at the sound, but her surprise made the movements uncoordinated and disjointed, and she fell in the direction of the pond.  
  
Reacting swiftly, Tsubasa darted forward with a long honed dexterity to seize one of Komichi’s flailing arms, quickly yanking the girl back in the other direction. The brunette stumbled back, almost falling into Tsubasa, but the bluenette quickly side-stepped and caught the younger girl by wrapping her other arm around the girl’s waist.  
  
“K-Kazanari-sama?!” Komichi said, staring wide eyed up at the swordswoman in confusion and astonishment.  
  
Smiling somewhat awkwardly at the formal honorific, Tsubasa decided to try for a little levity. “I don’t suppose I could get you to change that to Kazanari-senpai?”  
  
Komichi yelped in realization, scrambling to her feet as she jerked out of Tsubasa’s grip, backing away as if Tsubasa was some bear or something. “I’m sorry!”  
  
Tamping down on the surge of disappointment at the reply, Tsubasa decided to try and take a different tack, tilting her head slightly in confusion. “What for?”  
  
Komichi paused, her mouth opening and closing as her eyes darted around as if looking for an excuse. Finally, she said. “That such a noble one as yourself had to touch someone as lowly as me.”  
  
Tsubasa carefully stifled a sigh. She had dealt with nervous fans before, but Komichi’s behavior around them was on a completely different level. Well, no time like the present. If this would help Komichi, it would help Chris. Tsubasa’s Kouhai deserved happiness, after all she had been through. And Tsubasa couldn’t see why she shouldn’t get to know the one Chris had rather obviously fallen for.  
  
“Ayano.” Tsubasa said calmly, ignoring the way the girl stiffened at her name. “We should talk.”  
  
“I…” Komichi looked away from the idol, “I don’t think you should waste your time with one such as I, Kazanari-sama.”  
  
Tsubasa had honestly expected that reply. “Oh?” She raised an eyebrow, “Do you believe I can’t hold a conversation?”  
  
Komichi jerked back, waving her hands frantically. ”No! I didn’t mean that!”  
  
“Then there shouldn’t be a problem.” Sitting down on the stone Komichi had previously been sitting on, Tsubasa indicated another rock a few feet away. “Take a seat.”  
  
“I don’t think-” Komichi began, but Tsubasa swiftly cut her off.  
  
“Do you think I am someone so petty as to make you stand, Ayano?”  
  
Komichi vigorously shook her head at that. “No, of course not!”  
  
“Then please, sit.”  
  
Komichi hesitated for another long moment before stepping over to the rock and slowly sitting down. Silence fell over the yard once more as Tsubasa simply stared out across the pond, carefully considering how to begin while Komichi just fidgeted where she was.  
  
Finally, Tsubasa decided to start from the beginning, “Do you remember the concert, Ayano? When we first properly met? You weren’t like this around us. Well, I suppose you were a little like this around Maria. But this silence, this skittishness… it wasn’t there.”  
  
She turned her head to look at the brunette again. “What happened? What changed?”  
  
For a moment, Komichi just stared back. Then finally she said, “I found out. Not just that you all are adaptors, not just that you're heroes who have saved the world again and again, but what you had to go through to do so. Yukine’s history in Val Verde and that terrible Fine woman, everything Tachibana-sama went through in her school, Maria, Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi-sama at that awful orphanage.” She hesitated before adding. “How you lost Amou-sama…”  
  
Komichi stopped, as if she expected Tsubasa to cry out at her for bringing Kanade up. But Tsubasa simply waited patiently, nodding at the brunette to continue.  
  
“And yet, in spite of all that suffering and hardship… you all were able to stand up and keep fighting. For each other, for all of us, for yourselves.” Komichi stared skyward. “You are so strong. And compared to that, what am I? Just this plain, ordinary girl. Always have been. I’ve always felt like someone who can’t make a contribution. Nothing I ever do has felt important. I’m useless to everyone. Everyone except...”  
  
She turned her head towards the house as she trailed off.  
  
“How ironic.” Tsubasa said. “Because most of us would have killed to be plain, ordinary girls.”  
  
At Komichi’s questioning look, the swordswoman continued. “Many of us never got to enjoy a plain, ordinary life. Only Tachibana and Kohinata came close.” Her face twisted. “And just when we thought we had the opportunity, when Shem-Ha was receding into memory, the Horsemen tore it away from us again. This whole thing with being outed...”  
  
She shook her head in frustration. “It was bad enough for security when it was just Maria. And even considering it was just her, the fact the details were not known made so many things so much easier. Now? All the stalkers that have to be chased off, all the crowds that we have to run from when we get recognized in public, all the crazies who claim one of us have spoken to them in a dream or something… the only reason the younger ones don’t know the half of it is because they stopped paying attention to the news.”  
  
Tsubasa could only be happy that her grandfather had destroyed any potential records that would demonstrate she wasn’t her father’s child. Given recent events, it would probably be the only time in her life she would ever be thankful for her grandfather’s actions. There was the question of how the Horsemen knew, naturally, but without any proof it wasn’t a fact they could get away with publicizing.  
  
That thought did cause Tsubasa to pause for a moment to wonder why she had told _Maria_, of all people, something she had kept to herself for all those years. Maybe it was because Maria knew what it was like to regard someone unrelated by blood as a parent? But she pushed the irrelevancy aside after a moment.  
  
“We never wanted anyone to look at us as Symphogear Adaptors. Underneath the powers and the armor, we still are normal…” Tsubasa almost said ‘human’. “... people.”  
  
Now it was Komichi who looked out across the pond, a guilty frown playing across her face. “It’s hard to remember that. Especially after yesterday.”  
  
Tsubasa smiled ruefully for a moment. Ah yes, she could imagine now that she thought about it. The whole aura was something they only ever noticed by the effects it had on people. That made it easy for them to forget about. “If it makes it easier, think of it like this: do you remember the first time we met?”  
  
Komichi turned back to her, blinking in confusion. “You mean at the concert, when-”  
  
“No.” Tsubasa cut her off. “The _very _first time. At Lydian.”  
  
“You mean when…” Komichi paused then shook her head. “Of course, when you helped us convince Yukine to sing?”  
  
“You remember how happy she looked?” Tsubasa asked.  
  
Komichi couldn’t help the fondness that slid across her face. Seeing Chris happy… it would always be the best. “Yes.”  
  
Now Tsubasa went for the kill. “Do you think that happiness was worthless?”  
  
“What?” Komichi’s smile fell away. “No! Of course not!”  
  
“Then _that _is your contribution.” Tsubasa said. “You gave Yukine the hope of the normal life she wanted. Now, you must keep that hope alive.”  
  
_‘For as long as possible, at least._’ She quietly added to herself. Tsubasa wasn’t blind to the problems Sumphonia would impose, after all. She could only hope that when the day came that Komichi found out she wouldn’t reject them. Not to mention the other issue of lifespan.  
  
Komichi, for her part, just stared at Tsubasa. Help Chris hope for a normal life? Essentially reprise her role at the school fair?  
  
_“It’s like I said back at the concert: you helped me learn to live at Lydian, at the school festival. How could I not value you?”_  
  
If it was something she did before, it was something she could do again. And at that realization, just like when Chris had brought her back, it felt like the hole of inadequacy at the base of her gut might finally be able to close. It wasn’t _gone_, not yet, but that hole was now the smallest Komichi could ever remember it being.  
  
Now she truly looked at Tsubasa, leaving her vacant stare. “Thank you, Kazanari-sama.”  
  
“It was my pleasure.” Tsubasa said, standing to offer her hand. “And if you can do it for Yukine, then would you mind doing it a little for the rest of us too?  
  
The brunette paused, glancing around hesitantly before she slowly took Tsubasa’s hand and allowed herself to be hauled to her feet. “I think I will try, Kazanari-sam… san?”  
  
Tsubasa smiled slightly at that. “I’m glad.”  
  
As she turned to lead the brunette back to the bedroom, the swordswoman idly noted how lovely the night had become now that the clouds that had previously been partly obscuring the moon had cleared right up. It fit her mood perfectly.

\----

“I’d say the radiological signatures are pretty damning proof of China’s involvement in this!” Becker snapped.

Ogawa carefully exhaled through his nose, deciding to slip his glasses into his coat pocket rather than rest them on the desk. Suiten's death kept nagging at the back of his mind. Each time it did so, he cracked down on it with practiced ease. He couldn't afford to let his personal loss distract him. It certainly didn't exempt him from attending the emergency committee meeting.

Souji’s investigation thus far had turned up several leads he was pursuing, but precious little in the way of anything concrete. Shinji had been worried going into the conference that he didn’t have anything to present to the council. But as it turned out, he needn’t have been concerned. The Americans had already found something and were more than happy to share.

But while Shinji appreciated the United States’ recent willingness to back and defend SONG, he was currently wishing they did so with more tact. Particularly given the way it made Guanting go red in the face. “How dare you! We have shown great willingness to try and bury our reservations over SONG’s history and status, eagerly backing the proposed reforms. And these outrageous accusations are what we get in return?!”

“The contaminants to the Beryllium signature mark it as from a mine known to be owned by Chinese government interests.” Becker matter of factly replied. “That is all right there in the NEST report. Furthermore, there is also the fact that the destruction of the Undersea Palace leaves only the Chinese with any still existent relic fragments in a major government hands. Means, motive, opportunity, as they say.”

Ogawa could see the angry retort coming and decided to cut in before the conference developed into a full blown international incident. “Perhaps, Mr. Becker. But have you considered it is too convenient? There are other ways the Horsemen could have come by a shipment of material from that mine, theft for example. And given what evidence we have found in the Panau Incident, they clearly wish to pit your two countries against each other. The circumstantial evidence is just as strong that the Beryllium signature could be a false flag.”

Commander Ogawa took the silence that followed to gauge the mood of the other representatives. Both Becker and Guanting were currently surprised, thrown off balance by the head of SONG, and a Japanese citizen to boot, speaking up in favor of the Chinese position. The Russian, German, and French representatives were watching carefully. The first in interest now turning to disappointment and the latter two in concern now turning into relief.

_‘Of course, a US-China conflict would benefit the Russians far more than it would the Western Europe Alliance.’_ Ogawa thought. He shoved aside the momentary disgust at the representatives’ greater concern for national interest instead of the loss of lives.

As for the last two civilian representatives on the council, the British representative Keegan Hunter didn’t seem too into the argument. Ogawa could tell the woman had something she wanted to share, but was waiting for the right moment.

Then there was Kazushige. Throughout the entire meeting, the Japanese representative had been surprisingly withdrawn, despite the fact it was his country which had just been attacked by a nuclear weapon for the third time in a century. He kept shooting subtle glances at Guanting that nobody else had the training to pick up. Ogawa could draw only one conclusion: he knew something.

Finally, the military representatives, their screens positioned down below as a symbol of their advisory role, certainly looked attentive enough but Ogawa could tell they were bored at their political masters’ bickering.

“Your statement has merit, Commander Ogawa.” Becker finally conceded. “It would probably be prudent to wait for more information.”

“Maybe think of that next time before tossing around such accusations.” Guanting said. “Unlike the United States, the People’s Republic is not in the business of lobbing nuclear warheads at urban centers.”

Becker glared back at the Chinese representative but said nothing.

However, Hunter took that as her opening. “Well, it wasn’t precisely aimed at an urban center.”

Admiral Gosselin rolled his eyes. “I’m sure the people of Kamogawa would disagree with that.”

“They would. But as regrettable as their losses may be, they were clearly collateral. And one we may not have to worry about in the future.” She smiled reassuringly at all the quizzical looks she received. “The British Government has received a message from the Four Horsemen. Or an offer, to be more precise.”

General Shaw snorted. “I take it you rejected it, of course.”

“It’s not that kind of offer.” Hunter clarified. “It’s meant for all of us. Specifically, they said they would forego further use of indiscriminate nuclear ordinance if we likewise refrain from doing so against them.”

Becker chuckled darkly. “_Indiscriminate_ nuclear ordinance. As if anything else exists. Do they really think they can get out of this scot-free?”

But Hunter shook her head. “Actually, no they don’t. The same message informs us that they are aware of the ‘political necessity’ of being seen to do something in reply, hence they will not respond should we decide to utilize one nuclear weapon against one of their bases. A tit-for-tat exchange. Anything more, however, will warrant their retaliation.”

A brief silence punctuated the meeting as the others thought it over. Ogawa carefully schooled his features with long practice, but his insides twisted. He never considered himself a nationalist. Indeed, given his experience with Fudou, he had come to have something of a distaste for the concept. He did his duty for his country, yes, but he did not delude himself that it was something that had to be protected no matter the cost.

And yet, the Horsemen’s offer managed to make his blood boil. They had struck Japan with a nuclear weapon on the centennial anniversary of the first time such a catastrophe had happened and they had made that national tragedy into his own personal one too boot by murdering his brother. Now they just expected everyone to let it slide just like that?

“I think it has merit.” Chernykh finally said.

Ogawa balked at the Russian’s comment, his momentarily composure cracking. “You can’t be serious?”

“I am.” Chernykh said. “As it is, the warhead killed fewer people than Noble Red did at Adaptor Kazanari’s comeback concert. The Horsemen have already shown restraint in their target selection.”

“I’m sorry?” Ogawa asked, forcing himself to remain calm with long practice. “Should we praise the Americans for restraint when they dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? When they almost incinerated all of Tokyo last autumn to deal with a crisis already resolved?”

From his own screen, General Shaw shot Ogawa a complicated look mixing confusion, guilt, and betrayal. Ogawa resolved to apologise to the American general the next time they had a face to face meeting. But he had to make his point.

“There’s a difference between _praising _an action and the _observation _that there was a degree of restraint in the action.” Chernykh replied, although his tone had become defensive. “Obviously, none of us are _happy _about the Horsemen’s ability to employ advanced thermonuclear weaponry or that they used it. But that is a fact we now have to deal with and they could have just as easily employed that weapon on the adaptors at Tagoyama or against SONG’s headquarters. Given the air battle, you would have been just as hard pressed to see that underwater drone coming had it slid into Tokyo Bay as against the Undersea Palace.”

Becker pre-empted Ogawa’s retort and managed to outstrip the acting commander’s volume a fair bit, glancing around at the others in disbelief. “A city of thirty thousand people is _gone_! Reconstruction will take years! And you call _this restraint_?!”

The American representative slammed his fist on his desk. “Perhaps you all may be cowardly enough to forego giving these terrorists the radioactive drubbing they deserve, but the United States won’t!”

Ogawa resisted the temptation to pinch his nose in frustration. Dropping nukes right back on the Horsemen wasn’t what he was arguing for, merely that they shouldn’t be trusted… hell, couldn’t be trusted. Yet the problem, he mused, was that arguing against this particular offer made it sound like unlimited nuclear retaliation _was _something he seemed to be arguing for.

“The United States is, of course, free to decide whether and how it wishes to use its nuclear weapons against the Four Horsemen outside the territory of other nuclear weapon states.” Fechter said, his tone quite formal. “So long as it is prepared for both the diplomatic consequences from the states which are affected and the physical one when the Horsemen’s response is to airburst fusion warheads over major American cities.”

At that Becker paled, his mouth agape at the German representative.

“General Kurchatov.” Beaufil glanced down at the Russian general, who was observing the proceedings with a quiet interest. “What would the casualties have been had they aimed the warhead at any of the other targets?”

“Give me a moment to pull up estimates.” Kurchatov said as he tapped at his controls. “I had to go over thousands of potential targets in my time with the Strategic Rocket Forces. It isn’t exactly something you can commit to memory. Let’s see...”

He paused, studying his screen. “A fifty megaton weapon aimed at the adaptors in Tateyama would have killed approximately three times the number of people. Aimed at the port for SONG headquarters… well, the average estimate is four million immediate fatalities, with an additional seven-point-five million injuries.”

“_Gott in himmel_.” General Teufel breathed.

“And yet they instead aimed the warhead at a facility that would _only _kill thirty thousand people as collateral.” Beaufil observed, nodding to himself. “Chernykh is right, the Horsemen did show _some _restraint. There’s also that bioweapon we know they have, yet they have shown no signs of releasing. They do have limits. It is probably best we don’t provoke them into dropping them.”

This wasn’t working, Ogawa decided. He had to be more direct. “And with what basis can we be sure they will stick to this agreement? We already believe they are trying to provoke a nuclear war.”

“I’d say any further use of nuclear weaponry would make it rather clear. That isn’t exactly something they can hide.” Hunter gave a smile that Ogawa was sure was supposed to be reassuring, but came off more as indulging. “We know of your speculation about the Sixth Seal, Commander Ogawa. Unfortunately, it is nothing more than speculation based purely on loose symbology. Until we have more concrete information, that is not something we can base our decisions on.”

“Besides,” General Fai added, not even deigning to look up from the paperwork he was filling out. “It’s not like they need to buy time through diplomatic means. Their bases have been quite difficult to ferret out using previous methods. They’re quite adaptable. And what if the next base we find is in the middle of one of our major cities? Are we going to drop a nuke on it then?”

“But the message alludes to further strikes.” Ogawa said, trying to press the point. “They threatened to follow up their ‘Little Boy’ with a ‘Fat Man’.”

“Yes, but it’s rather obvious that’s a reference to Project Sabin.” Fechter quickly replied. “The Symphogear Adaptors are their most high profile targets and SONGs main weapon against them. For their ‘Fat Man’ to be a weapon directed against them rather than against the relics is only logical. And while we may not have much information about it, we know that the Horsemen are seeking something more discriminating on that account then a city-busting hydrogen bomb.”

Ogawa hastily racked his mind for another argument to make but came up with nothing. Appeal to the timing behind it? The strangely silent Kazushige aside, that meant nothing to them. They weren’t going to adjust their national policies to a piece of symbolism that only really mattered to the Japanese. Maybe Genjuro could have found some way to make that convincing, but Ogawa couldn’t figure out how.

“Commander Ogawa.” That was Hunter. The British representative’s tone sounded sympathetic enough, but Ogawa could detect the warning tone underneath it. “We understand you have reservations about trusting this offer. But nothing about this prevents SONG from acting against the Horsemen, as we have already agreed. That should be satisfactory, shouldn’t it?”

Ogawa leaned back with a sigh. That was that then. He could get the message. The UN wasn’t willing to be any more proactive on this.

“So we are in agreement then. If we discover an additional Horsemen base, we will undertake consideration on whether to retaliate with nuclear measures but advance no further then that, unless the Horsemen break the agreement first, and no nation will undertake unilateral measures.” Guanting summarized. He paused for a moment, then looked curiously at the one representative who continued to say nothing. “Are you sure you have nothing to add, Mr. Kazushige?”

“I have no objections.” Kazushige’s simple response drew a few more curious glances, even from Ogawa.

“Then this meeting is adjourned.” Becker bit out, still clearly upset.

All the screens went dark. All of them, that is, except for Kazushige. “Commander Ogawa.”

“Kazushige-san.” Ogawa acknowledged, both of them dropping back into Japanese now that the foreigners were no longer listening in.

“How secure is this line?”

Ogawa paused to consider how to answer. With American assistance, the upgrades to SONGs database security in the last month had made it among the most secure in the world, right up there with the control systems for nuclear arsenals. They no longer had to worry about a backdoor being slipped into their system. Any hack attempt by the Red Unit would have to be an entirely detectable brute force and Elfnein had prepared measures to crash the systems to prevent that from happening when they detected it.

That was merely security on the submarine’s systems though. Security on _transmissions _on the other hand...

“It’s _mostly _secure.” Ogawa finally said, hoping the message got across.

“I see.” Kazushige answered, folding his hands together as he considered the information. “I heard about your brother. My condolences.”

Ogawa concealed his emotions with a polite but appropriately sad smile. He knew that Kazushige wasn’t bringing that up just just to be polite. “Thank you.”

“If it isn’t a problem, is it okay if I attend the funeral?”

Ogawa levelled an even stare at the man for the longest time as he turned the offer over in his mind. Finally he answered. “Yes. That should be fine. We’ll send you a formal invitation.”

“Very well. Again, my deepest condolences.” Kazushige finished, bowing in apologies before the screen blinked out.

Ogawa leaned forward with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. On top of everything else, he couldn’t even fully mourn his loss. He had committed himself to this course and he had known this might be the case. That didn’t make it feel any better.

_Damn _the Four Horsemen.

\----

“How about Diamond Ridge Construction?”

At Tsubasa’s questioning tone, Maria looked up from her own tablet to the one the bluenette was offering to her. The Airgetlamh user studied the screen for a good minute, reading through the description. “They do seem able. Add them to the list.”

Tsubasa nodded at the pinkette’s declaration, flipping the tablet back around to add the name to the notes. During breakfast, Tsubasa had asked Maria to assist her with looking at how the Kazanari Foundation could help provision for those rendered homeless by the Horsemen’s nuclear strike and even eventually rebuild Kamogawa. For the past few hours, the two ex-idols had poured over the available resources and assets of the Foundation from Tsubasa’s office and looked into potential companies that they could contract out too. Maria had become so absorbed in the business, it hadn’t occurred to her to wonder what the rest of the girls were doing.

The sound of a phone buzzing drew Maria’s attention away from her examination of the legal technicalities surrounding private financial aid contributions. Instinctively, she started reaching for her own phone but Tsubasa beat her to it. “It’s mine. Just a quick message from Akatsuki.”

“Oh!” Maria shook her head, how could she forget about the others? “Is everything alright?”

“Yes.” Tsubasa said quickly as she typed out her reply before pocketing the phone. “She’s just making sure we’re okay. Perhaps we should take a break to see them.”

Maria glanced up at the time. Yes, perhaps it would be a good idea to make sure their friends were doing okay. She keyed the power button to her own business tablet. “Alright. We can return to this later.”

“Definitely.” Tsubasa agreed as she stood up, moving for the door with an unhurried haste. But then the swordswoman paused at the doorway. “It’s funny.”

“Hm?” Maria tilted her head at that as she came to her own feet, waiting patiently behind Tsubasa.

“Originally, I wasn’t sure what to do with the power of the foundation.” Tsubasa mused as she opened the door and led Maria out, leading her down the outer Engawa corridor away from the office. “I mean, I figured I had to downsize it, yes. But that was just doing something _to _the power, rather than doing something _with _it.”

Maria caught on quickly. “But now you think you might want it to help people? Particularly those hurt by the Horsemen?”

“Yes.” Tsubasa answered as she came to a halt outside one of the doors. “It’s fitting, I think. Grandfather used the foundation to hurt so many people. I only think it’s right it should be used to make up for that.” The bluenette brought a hand up to the necklace containing Ame-No-Habakiri. “I can be a sentinel for the people that protects their well-being, as well as their safety.”

Maria smiled, pulling up alongside Tsubasa. Cautiously, she brought her hand up and laid it atop Tsubasa’s. “If that is what you wish to do with it, I’ll help you every step of the way.” She paused for a moment then added. “Just don’t forget to take care of yourself every so often, okay?”

Tsubasa laughed lightly, a sound that caused her heart to beat. “Thank you, Maria. And the same goes for you. I don’t want you to forget to take care of yourself either.” Her smile became mischievous. “Speaking of which…”

Maria blinked in slight confusion as Tsubasa quickly slid open the door and motioned for the pinkette to go ahead. Maria obeyed before she realized that the room was dark but didn’t really have time to process that before Tsubasa quickly stepped in after her and slid the door shut, plunging the room into blackness.

“Tsubasa?” Maria asked, her voice concerned. The only light available was sunlight filtering through the translucent shoji panels and it cast everything into indistinct shapes.

Then all at once, the lights flickered on and Maria raised a hand to shield herself from the glare.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

Maria gasped at the chorus of almost a dozen voices followed by the bursts of party poppers. Blinking the last few spots out of her eyes, the pinkette took in the sight. The Fusuma had all been pulled back to greatly expand the room, leaving it quite spacious even with the tables and party treats all laid out.

Of course, her closest friends - her family - were up front with the biggest smiles on their faces. Komichi, Yumi, and Shiori all stood slightly further back, under the big banner reading HAPPY BIRTHDAY, slightly smaller smiles on their own faces. Finally, Kondo stood politely applauding in a corner, awaiting any commands from Tsubasa or her friends.

“I hope you-u like it!” Kirika said hurriedly, almost desperately as Maria took it all in. She was speaking so fast she stumbled over her words, drawing a sudden look of concern from Shirabe. “T-this was supposed to happen yesterday, ya k-know. We agreed that the whole ‘awards party’ was just cover because, really, who cares about some m-medals? But with the a-attack and the bomb and everything we-mph!”

Her explanation was cut off as Maria reached out and pulled the blonde into an enormous bearhug, practically burying her face in the taller girl’s chest. “I _love _it.” Maria breathed. “Thank you, Kirika.”

“Maria.” Shirabe said, her tone curiously even despite her stare hardening ever so slightly in jealousy. “I think Kiri-chan needs to breathe.”

“Oh!” Maria started, releasing Kirika who fell back towards her own girlfriend with a gasp of “Death!”

“Maria-san.” Maria turned in surprise at Komichi’s voice. The girl still looked hesitant and nervous, but there was a perceptible improvement in her demeanour from the day before. “H-happy birthday. I’m sorry, but I didn’t get you anything…”

“Ah! That’s my fault!” Chris suddenly leapt in, trying to defend her friend. “I mean, I only mentioned the party to Komichi this mornin’ and wasn’t expecting her to want to attend…”

“It’s okay.” Maria said kindly, smiling and pre-empting Komichi’s own attempt to counter Chris’s claims. “That someone so close to Chris is finally willing to speak to me is enough of a present.”

Komichi blushed at the praise, shyly glancing over at Chris who replied with an encouraging smile.

“And you!” Maria rounded on Tsubasa. “You knew they were preparing for this the whole time! That’s why you distracted me with that work.”

“It made a good excuse.” Tsubasa admitted, a small grin on her own face. It vanished swiftly, however. “Although I am serious about it.”

“I know.” Maria reassured her. “Thank you.”

“Okay then!” Hibiki smiled widely, rushing forward to grab Maria’s hand. “Alright, enough chit-chat! Come on, let’s get this party started!”

—

“This is a nice place, Kazanari-senpai.” Yumi remarked a while later as they watched Maria enjoy herself as she tried, and utterly failed, to beat Kirika and Shirabe at Mario Kart 128. “The location is elevated and nicely walled off, with mostly clear lines of sight to the house. It’d be hard to storm. You might want to clear some of the trees by that pond though, they obstruct the view of some of the west wall.”

From next to the pig-tailed girl, the other four Adaptors and Komichi all shot Yumi confused looks, while Shiori placed a finger to her head with a sigh.

“Uh… thank you?” Tsubasa said, then she took a moment to really consider Yumi’s advice, the warrior part of her kicking in. It was pretty sound and making her home more defensible made eminent sense. Always battle ready after all. “I’ll have to talk to the gardener.”

“Shiori.” Miku spoke-up quickly. “Could I have a moment of your time?”

“Yes, of course.” Shiori answered immediately, seemingly expecting that.

Komichi tilted her head as she watched the two go. “What is that about?”

“I don’t know.” Yumi said, crossing her arms with a hum. “You know, Shiori’s been behaving a bit strangely around me lately.”

“Really?” Chris remarked skeptically, sending Yumi a flat look. “_She’s_ been behaving strangely?”

“Yeah.” Yumi continued, not picking up on Chris’s sarcasm at all. “I think she’s been getting lonely since Kuriyo moved out, because she’s been extra-clingy with me recently.”

Already picking up on the implication, both Chris and Komichi’s faces started to go red whereas Tsubasa merely raised an eyebrow.

Hibiki, on the other hand, asked, “What do you mean?”

“Well… she’s been climbing into bed with me, wanting to take baths together, hugging my arms or sidling really close whenever we watch anime.” Yumi said, her own face heating slightly as she became slightly self-conscious at how this all sounded. “I even walked in on her changing once.”

“Huh…” Hibiki added, scratching her head. “That sounds a bit familiar. You really think it’s because she’s getting lonely?”

“God, Buddha, Enki… hell, I’ll even take Shem-Ha.” Chris groaned in despair, cradling her head in her hands. “Just save me from these idiots.“

“Erm… Itaba-san.” Komichi said as she reached out to rub Chris’s back reassuringly, her tone vastly softer but her face only marginally less red. “I don’t think she’s doing that because she’s lonely.”

“Sounds like you’re very good friends to me.” Hibiki added pleasantly.

“You’re not allowed to talk about this, Lovebird.” Chris said, ignoring Hibiki’s indignant squawk at the nickname as she looked squarely at Yumi. “Look, nerd, she’s doing that because she likes you.”

“Well, yes?” Yumi replied, puzzled. “I like her too. She’s a good friend.”

Chris tilted her head back, closing her eyes for several seconds as she visibly brought herself under control. Finally, she threw her hands up and sank back in her seat. “Alright, that’s it. I give up. You want to take a shot at this mess, senpai?”

“I think this is something Itaba will have to realize on her own.” Tsubasa said, but she turned to look at Yumi. “I will only ask this: does it bother you?”

The short girl chewed on that question for a good few seconds as she watched Shirabe’s Bowser just edge past Kirika’s Peach in crossing the finish line in first. Maria’s Wario only came in ninth. “No.” She finally answered. “It’s actually… rather nice. I think I like it.”

—

Kondo Shintani glanced up from the plates she was laying out on the dining table in preparation for the birthday lunch when Miku and Shiori stepped into the room. “Kohinata-san? Terashima-san? Is everything alright?”

“Ah, yes, Shintani-san.” Miku answered quickly, pausing at the woman’s inquiry. “We just needed somewhere to have a private conversation. We can go elsewhere.”

“That will not be necessary.” Kondo said, brushing her hands on her apron as she stood up. “As Ojou-sama’s friends and comrades, it is my job to abide just as much by your wishes as hers. I will check on the cooks.”

With a polite bow, Tsubasa’s head maid quickly turned and left the room, leaving the two younger girls alone. The moment the door shut behind her, Miku turned to Shiori. “What was that comment Yumi made?”

“I don’t know.” Shiori muttered, shaking her head. “She’s been making comments like that quite a bit recently. Keeps appraising places based on how ‘defensible’ they are or nitpicking stuff in some of the more military-oriented anime we’ve been watching. She doesn’t even seem aware she’s doing it. When I asked her about it once, she just got confused before saying she probably read it somewhere on the net.”

“Is that all?” Miku pressed. “She hasn’t said anything about the Horsemen?”

“Oh, she’s said plenty about the Horsemen.” Shiori’s voice became sardonic. “All of it _very _negative. She hates their guts.” The blonde’s face twisted, sharing her friend’s displeasure. “So do I. How could we like them after all they have done?”

Miku pursed her lips, tapping at her chin for a few seconds. “But no more insights into them?”

Shiori just shook her head in response. Miku breathed a sigh of relief. Expressing nothing but distaste for their enemy doesn’t sound like something a spy would do, even an unwilling one. Certainly it didn’t sound like Yumi was being brainwashed towards the Horsemen’s viewpoint. Still…

“You’ll still keep an ear open, right?” Miku asked.

“Yes, of course.” Shiori said. “But I really don’t think she’s a spy, Hina.”

“Neither do I. I just… I just want to be careful.” Miku reassured the blonde. Quickly, she changed the subject. “How about the other matter?”

At that Shiori brightened momentarily. “Oh! Yes, I started doing what you recommended!” Then her face fell. “But Yumi hasn’t responded very much.”

Miku’s brow furrowed, unsure how to take that answer. “She’s rejecting your approaches?”

“No. That’s not it.” Shiori shook her head. “She goes along with it, pretty much every time. But she doesn’t really react that much. She treats it like it’s natural.”

Miku beamed, seizing Shiori’s hands. “Shiori, that is great news!”

Shiori blinked. “Eh?”

“If she wasn’t interested in you that way, she’d act uncomfortable and even complain. That she’s treating it as natural is a clear sign she does reciprocate!”

“Really?” Shiori asked, hope and excitement filling her voice. “You really think so?!”

“I know so.” Miku said with the confidence of experience. “She’s just not fully aware of her own feelings. If she was, she’d be more bashful and self-conscious.” After all, that’s what Hibiki was like towards her in the first few days after their confession.

“So what do I do next, oh Hina-sensei?” Shiori asked with an excited giggle.

Miku paused. Ah, yes. The next step. She could imagine Shiori’s reaction to what would follow next. “You are going to have to make her consider her own feelings. And the best way to do that is to make her aware of _your _feelings.”

Shiori’s good humor evaporated instantly. She shifted on her feet nervously. “I… are you sure?”

“Yes.” Miku asserted, firmly meeting the blonde’s eyes. “You’re going to have to confess. And given this is Yumi we’re talking about, probably follow it up with something that will make your feelings clear.”

“Something like...?”

“A kiss.” Miku said. “Not a big one. It doesn’t even have to be on the lips. But it should get the message across, crystal clear.”

Shiori flushed, her eyes darting to the door they had come from. “I… I can’t do that!”

“You have to.” Miku insisted. “Otherwise, you’ll just be stuck where you are.”

“I… you don’t understand, Hina!” Shiori said quickly. “We’re looking at universities right now. I can’t distract her from something so important.”

Miku frowned, crossing her arms as she looked at Shiori’s language. “That sounds like an excuse. What happened to the brave Shiori-san I always knew?”

Shiori winced, her gaze falling guiltily. “I… not this month. We have a date planned for when school starts back up, when we get our homework grades back. I’ll do it then.”

Miku considered that for awhile, before releasing a breath. “Alright.” She allowed. “That sounds like a good plan.”

Reaching out, the Shenshoujing user laid a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. “You can do this, Shiori. Trust me and trust yourself.”

Shiori glanced up at that, first looking at the hand on her shoulder then meeting Miku’s eyes and offering a nervous smile. Miku returned it with her own reassuring one. “Come on.” The black-haired girl said. “Let’s get back to the party.”

—

“Tsubasa-senpai, Chris-senpai!” Kirika cheered as she leapt up towards the group of watchers, followed more sedately by Shirabe. “Maria wants to play against you next!”

Chris grinned, “Well, far be it from me to deny the birthday girl her wish. Just so long as she’s prepared to get owned.”

She shot Komichi a confident smile as she climbed to her feet and was pleased when the brunette returned it, albeit somewhat hesitantly.

“I think I’ll pass.” Tsubasa waved her hand.

“Oh-ho?” Maria chided from her position in front of the television, raising a hand to her mouth in mock-shock. “Is the prospect of a mere race too much for you, Tsubasa?”

Tsubasa’s eyebrow twitched, her demeanour turning fierce. “You think so little of me?” She said as she rose to her feet. ”I will show you the speed of a sentinel!”

Maria rolled her eyes in good humor as the bluenette came over. Riling up Tsubasa was just too easy. The sword was just too cute when all determined like that.

“Who do you think is going to win?” Komichi asked as she watched Tsubasa and Chris take their places behind the controllers, Kirika and Shirabe plopping down into their own prior seats.

“Two hundred yen on Kinekuri-senpai!” Yumi immediately cheered.

“Nuh-uh, I’m not taking that bet.” Hibiki said. “It’s way too obvious. The real question is who is going to win between Maria-san and Tsubasa-san.”

Several seconds of silence passed between the five girls as they mulled over the question. Then, in a practical chorus, Kirika and Shirabe said simultaneously. “Maria.”

Hibiki opened her mouth to object just out of principle before considering it a little longer. “Yeah, you're definitely right.”

“So how are you two’s summer vacation going?” Yumi asked Kirika and Shirabe. Then she quickly clarified. “I mean… besides training and fighting those crazy Horsemen guys?”

“It’s alright, I guess.” Kirika shrugged. “Having to constantly dodge the media and keeping up disguises in public is a pain… but we’re dealing with it!” She hastily added, racking her mind for something that wouldn’t make her senpai’s worry about them. “Oh, we’re almost done with our summer homework.”

“Chris-senpai has been over to help with ours a few times and we even got assistance from Kawada-san.” Shirabe clarified, even as she cast a wary eye at Kirika.

“Lucky, I haven’t even gotten started on mine!” Hibiki laughed heartily. It was a laugh that quickly trailed off as she noticed that Kirika, Shirabe, Yumi, and Komichi were staring at her with a wide-eyed expression. “What?”

“_Hibiki_…” A very familiar voice practically growled from behind her, sending a chill down the Gungnir user’s spine.

She spun around to find the pair of emerald eyes that normally filled her heart with joy instead now filling it with dread. “Ah, Miku! I was… I mean… I just...”

“You **_still_** haven’t started your summer homework?!” Miku’s voice rose dangerously. “School’s less than a month away!”

Hibiki cringed, her mind searching for any desperate excuse to ward off an angry Miku. At the edge of her vision, Hibiki caught Shiori sidling slowly away with an apologetic look on her face. “But I-”

Miku wasn’t having any of it. “But nothing! I am not having a repeat of last year! The moment we get home, I am sitting you down and we are getting started on this!”

Hibiki found herself unable to move as the Shenshoujing user leaned forward, her eyes gleaming dangerously. “_Do I make myself clear_?”

Hibiki gulped as she averted her eyes from the terrifying visage of an angry Miku, a tiny “Yes, Miku” slipping out from between her lips. As she did so she caught sight of Chris watching the exchange out of the corner of her eye, multi-tasking from the game and with the biggest shit-eating grin on her face. Seeing Hibiki looking, the Ichaival user mouthed the word “Whipped” at her.

Acutely aware of how Miku was still glaring at her, Hibiki just managed to find the self-preservation and maturity to refrain from sticking her tongue out in reply.

\----

Shinji sighed, as he sat down in the funeral parlor lobby in one of the chairs against the wall. The wake had just ended, yet there was still quite some time until the dinner. The attendees, mostly fellow members of the clan or workers at Suiten’s nightclub, nodded respectfully as they passed him. Their eyes were all filled with the same sorrow that weighed on the SONG commander’s heart.

Yet even in mourning, his job wouldn’t leave him.

The last two days since the bomb had seen the girls throw themselves back into their training with renewed vigor. Not wanting to disappoint them, so too had the bridge crew, sifting through copious amounts of data, trying to find something that would let them again hit back at the Horsemen. It was an enormous source of frustration that they couldn’t find anything.

The endless process would repeat itself: they’d pick up a trail, chase it down, and then slam into a dead end at some random non-sequitur. Financial transactions that led to people who couldn’t possibly have afforded them. Enormous shipments of industrial equipment and materials going to random small businesses which never saw them and had no record of ever placing those orders. It was that damn AI, the Red Unit, covering the Horsemen’s tracks with ruthless efficiency. Electronic Intelligence was simply impossible with it in play. Shinji knew with certainty that if there was one target he _would _recommend nuking, it would be wherever that thing’s core was.

With adequate ELINT impossible, that left human intelligence. Suiten and Shinji had discussed it this morning. The prisoners who had been caught trying to kidnap or kill Hibiki and Miku’s families had yielded no new information they could act on and had long been turned over to the Japanese national court system for trial. And nobody to date had managed to get an agent _into _the Horsemen. The British had made an attempt last month: the man they dispatched had been found within a week in the Thames river with his throat slit.

Unless they got a break, that left only one recourse: intelligence based on rumors. The most time consuming, least efficient method there was. Yet it’d take _at least_ a week for them to sift through every cock-a-mamie story in the world and figure out which one might point to Horsemen activity.

The hours of the wake were the only break they had managed to slip in. The second funeral in as many months. Shinji desperately hoped it would be the last, but his darkest fear wasn’t that there would be more. No, his darkest fear would be that he would have to attend one for one of the girls. He didn’t know if he could handle that. It would mean he had failed them and failed his friend.

A cold drink can slapped into Shinji’s palm. The SONG commander glanced up at that to behold the stoic visage of Souji, a second drink in his other hand. To any casual observer, the eldest Ogawa brother looked as imperturbable as ever. It was only Shinji who noticed the tell-tale microexpressions of the clan leader’s sadness.

As Souji quietly took a seat next to his brother, a familiar figure emerged from the departing crowd of mourners, making a beeline for the two brothers. Shinji staved off the frown at the sight of Furuse Kazushige. He had known that the Japanese UN rep would be here. But that still didn’t mean he had to like it.

“My condolences, again, to the both of you.” Kazushige glanced around the emptying lobby, a puzzled frown crossing his face. “I’m surprised none of the adaptors are here.”

“They don’t know.” Suiten said. “They didn’t know our brother and we don’t want to add to the pressure they are already under by having them worry about us.”

The diplomat’s head tilted in acknowledgement as he took a seat across from the two. “I see.”

“If you will forgive my abruptness, Kazushige-san,” Souji said. “What did you need to see us in person about?”

Kazushige reached into his coat and brought out an envelope that he offered to the two men. “This is a copy of a letter that was left at the door of one of my secretaries houses.”

Taking the offered letter, Shinji broke the seal and began to read.

_“Hardline elements of the CCP in opposition to SONG have made a deal with the Four Horsemen, exchanging materials for technology. Horsemen intend to leverage this faction to destroy China’s remaining support for SONG, but we don’t have the details as to how._

_We’re sorry. We never wanted this.”_  
-With Regards,  
Former Members of Cell-532

“It seems the Horsemen’s recent actions have driven some of their own to break ties.” Kazushige continued as Shinji passed the letter over to Souji.

“This confirms the Americans' intelligence about the sourcing of the Beryllium for the warhead.” Souji observed, glancing up from the letter. “Why didn’t you share this at the meeting?”

“If I did, what do you think that would have done to American and Chinese relations?” Kazushige asked rhetorically, looking at Shinji. “In contrast to my colleagues, I don’t like the Horsemen’s offer any more than you do, Commander. I agree with you about the Sixth Seal, although some of my subordinates do not. But I doubt letting nuclear bombs fall on them would do anything but accelerate it. If at least pretending to go along with the Horsemen’s offer will prevent that, then that is what we should do.”

The diplomat leaned back in his chair as he concluded, “If a new World War is what the Horsemen want, then we have to do everything in our power to deny it to them.”

Shinji glanced down at the letter again, rereading it as if he would be able to divine something new from the words. “There should be more.” He mused. “The number of turncoats and leaks… that we’re getting some isn’t surprising, what _is _surprising is how few there are. Compared to any of SONG’s past opponents, with the amount of people involved and the atrocities committed, we should be seeing far more.”

Souji quietly thought about it for a moment, before glancing towards his brother. “Hibiki’s conversation with Samantha…”

“Oh, yes. I read your report about that.” Kazushige said. “You think they might be subjecting their more high valued personnel to some form of mind control? Hypnotic suggestions? Some variation of the Direct Feedback System?”

“Lieutenant Accampora denied that the Horsemen possess any such technology.” Shinji observed. “But then, would she even know? We know they have the cybernetics technology to make implants into the brain.”

At the word ‘brain’, something clicked in Souji’s mind. “_Aniki_… Emily.”

Shinji’s head came around at that, his eyes widening momentarily as he instantly got at what his brother was hinting. “You don’t think…?”

Souji nodded. “We have always suspected a connection between the Pale Man and the Horsemen. It has to be more than a coincidence.”

“Wait, wait, wait…” Kazushige asked, having grown more and more confused as the conversation proceeded. “What are you talking about?”

“Something we’ll have to look into further.” Shinji muttered darkly, before folding the letter and putting it in his pocket. “In any case, we have a lead now. Regardless of the details, the evidence indicates the Horsemen are ratcheting up their operations in China. The girls are determined to stop them, so that’s where we will go.”

“I don’t think the Chinese will appreciate SONG poking around.” Kazushige quickly pointed out. “The whole ‘communist party’ appellation may largely be just nomenclature these days, but they still take the principles of Democratic Centralism quite seriously. They won’t appreciate foreigners poking their noses into internal factions, even over something like this. Especially not Japanese noses.”

Shinji smiled. “We have a standing invitation from their Prime Candidate to visit whenever we want. And we could always say we’re picking up their relic fragment for it’s conversion into a Symphogear. Both are perfect covers.”

“We’re used to working in the dark.” Souji noted.

“You are.” Kazushige conceded before a thoughtful look crossed his face. “It’s funny that the Americans are being so supportive now, after everything that happened.”

In spite of the seriousness of the previous conversation, Shinji chuckled. “Not really that funny, when you think about it. I asked General Shaw about it while in New York once.”

Kazushige leaned forward a little in his seat, interested. “Oh? What did he say?”

“The way he put it.” Shinji answered, “Was that America’s been burned every time it got involved with the supernatural save for one time. And that one time was when they actually cooperated with SONG. I remember him saying, ‘Contrary to popular stereotypes, Commander Ogawa, we _do _learn.’”

At that Kazushige also chuckled in wry amusement, shaking his head. But after a few seconds, the smile slipped off his face. His eyebrows knitted in concern as the good humor of the moment evaporated and his gaze cast out the glass front of the funeral home. “Let us hope the Chinese learn faster than the Americans.”

All the two Ogawas could do in reply was nod grimly.

\----****

**Next Chapter: **With Your Own Hands

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘Nother paper got in the way of this one, as well as a good chunk of writer's block. Nonetheless, it’s complete. This is the big “dealing with the politics” chapter for the arc, so don’t expect to see the UN committee as a whole much for the next five or ten chapters, although some specific members will be making their appearances where appropriate.
> 
> Also, since several of my beta’s commented on it: Mario Kart 128 was arrived at by me just doubling Mario Kart 64, which was the first Mario Kart game I played. It doesn’t mean there’s been 120 Mario Kart games in the interim.


	25. With Your Own Hands

Distortions  
Chapter 25  
With Your Own Hands

\----

“Staples moving in on the rooftops to the left!” Chris shouted from the rear, turning her guns in the direction of the masked clones in question. The rounds from her gatling guns rippled across the building’s top, blasting chunks of concrete and steel out. The Staples that had been setting up simply vanished in a cloud of dust and debris.

“How far to the EP?” Maria demanded into her communicator from up front as she horizontally bisected a personnel carrier with Airgetlamh’s whip sword.

“Just one more block!” Shirabe responded as she scouted ahead on her power-skates, scanning for ambushes. Any Staples or Automen she came across setting up heavy weapons were swiftly reduced to bloody chunks and scrapheap by her yo-yos and sawblades.

On the left, Tsubasa tore into packs of Automen moving in at street level while Kirika leapt in to chop the railgun off of a battle tank on the right. Overhead, Miku rained a torrent of beams down upon unseen foes, thinning the hordes before they even came in sight of the group. None of the Horsemen’s aircraft which appeared lasted even a minute when they came into her sight.

And in the middle, Hibiki pounded forward after Maria, holding the shivering girl in her arms close. The Gungnir user didn’t know why the Horsemen wanted her dead, but she didn’t care. So long as she could save her from them, she would!

“Tachibana!” At Tsubasa’s shout, Hibiki’s eyes glanced left. A team of Staples had managed to get past the blue-haired swordswoman as she dealt with some Automen and they opened fire from that direction. Hibiki twisted right, shielding the girl with her own body as the rounds pinged harmlessly off her back. The barrage of gunfire only lasted a second before Tsubasa was upon the Staple kill team, decapitating all six of them in a single stroke.

Facing right, Hibiki now saw a guided missile which had slipped past the barrage of defensive fire coming from Chris and Miku to home in on her. The missile wasn’t a threat to Hibiki, but the alarmed shriek coming from the girl in her arms made her shudder to think what even a proximity detonation would do to her charge.

“Don’t worry!” Hibiki shouted reassuringly above the din of battle, keeping her attention on the inbound. She had to time this just right.

In the last instant before it looked like the missile would impact, she fired her pistons and leapt forward like a human bullet. The missile tried to follow, but caught in the middle of its terminal execution, the belated turn forced the missile to drive itself into the ground only slightly ahead of where Hibiki _had _been and explode.

“I see the extraction point!” Maria shouted as Hibiki landed right behind her. Glancing up, the Gungnir user also spotted the barricade of sandbags, SDF infantry hunkered down behind them and exchanging gunfire with Staples sheltering behind their own improvised cover. As she watched, Shirabe flashed right into the midst of the latter and spun around, flinging her yo-yos wide.

The combination of what was essentially magical monofilament wire and human bodies briefly brought to Hibiki’s mind the phrase ‘ludicrous gibs’. But the path was now clear, and Hibiki pumped her legs at a pace no ordinary human could match as she darted past Maria, who was turned off to join the others in taking up the rearguard.

The Gungnir wielder skidded to a halt right behind the extraction vehicle, a SDF wheeled APC with its passenger compartment ramp down. With a gentleness completely at odds with the raw sense of otherworldly power radiating off of her, Hibiki carefully placed the girl down in her seat. “Are you okay?”

“I am.” The girl said after a few steadying breaths, a hand reaching up to her chest. Her eyes, filled with gratitude, lifted to meet Hibiki’s. “Thank you.”

Then the girl vanished, replaced by a small hovering screen that said [MISSION SUCCESS - VIP RESCUED]

“DESS!” Kirika cheered from behind Hibiki, punching her free hand up in exultation as the urban streets around them morphed back into the sterile environment of the training room. “We’re really getting good at this!”

Shirabe simply smiled at that as she flexed her hands, inspecting her yo-yos. She did love when Kirika was genuinely celebratory. Then again, she supposed there was little she didn’t love about Kirika.

Miku floated down to land next to Hibiki, who smiled wide and reassuringly at her approach while Chris sidled over to the couple. “Man, what was with that final sprint? You trying to outdo your wife in track now or somethin’?” She said with a satisfied grin, playfully punching the Gungnir girl’s shoulder.

“I don’t think I could ever beat Miku in raw speed, particularly not when she’s got those.” Hibiki giggled in response, indicating Shenshoujing’s ionocraft modules, as she sheepishly scratched the back of her head.

Tsubasa glanced up at the camera from which she knew Elfnein was monitoring them in the control room. “Is that all for today?”

“There’s one more thing!” Elfnein replied. “I shouldn’t take but a moment. We’ll be right there.”

“We?” Maria asked curiously. She knew that Elfnein was alone today, monitoring the results of the training session. Tsubasa just shrugged, equally as clueless.

In the end, it didn’t take even more than a minute before the door to the simulator room slid open and Elfnein stepped in. What really drew the adaptors attention however, was she was quickly followed by a cart on which a single glass capsule sat. And pushing the cart was...

“Dad?!” Hibiki gaped. She tried to remember the last time she saw him wearing a labcoat. The only scattered instances she could recall were all the way back from before the Zwei Wing Incident.

“Hey, Hibiki.” Akira smiled sheepishly at the surprised faces.

“Tachibana-san has been helping me on this project for awhile now, among other things.” Elfnein said, shooting him a grateful smile. “I could not have remotely gotten this done as quickly without him. In fact, he’s been so valuable that the Commander has agreed to hire him as part of SONG’s computer research department.”

“What? Really?!” Hibiki’s head was practically spinning now. Her father… was now a part of SONG? 

“One of my greatest regrets is that I couldn’t support Hibiki through all those years she suffered. That all I could offer was advice that I failed to live up to, even as she did.” Akira stared down at the table. “So when I discovered that the very organization that did provide support for her needed assistance in something I could provide, what else could I do but say yes?”

“So you can support your daughter in your own way.” Tsubasa said softly, remembering her own father.

The shock faded as the realization settled in on Hibiki, an enormous smile spreading across her face. She lunged forward to envelop her father in a bone-crushing hug, trivally lifting him off his feet despite him being almost a head taller than her. “It’s like you're fighting with me!”

“Urk! Hi… bi… ki...” Akira gasped.

“Ah! Sorry!” Hibiki spluttered, embarrassed as she quickly put her dad back down and released him. The elder Tachibana stumbled back, gasping only for Elfnein to steady him with both her hands.

“So… yeah. Here I am.” Akira finished once he had regained his breath. “Although I will admit, it feels a bit odd working under you, Elfnein-san. Even though I know intellectually you’re-”

But Elfnein interrupted him. “It’s fine. I get that from a lot of the other research staff anyways.”

Silence fell with that part of the conversation completed. Hibiki couldn’t keep her giddy grin off her face. Her dad! Working for SONG, helping her so directly! She couldn’t have imagined this outcome just a year ago. Even when she had brought him back to her house, to reunite with her mom that first time, the possibility would have never occurred to her.

“So… what _is _this thing?” Maria asked, having approached the cart and now staring at the glass capsule on it’s top. The others also moved to crowd around and examine it. Several wires ran out of the capsule and down into the cart, but what really drew everybody's attention was the lone item within the capsule.

It was disc-shaped, blue, about the diameter of a fingernail, and only marginally thicker. An intricate web of black and silver lines criss-crossed it’s surface, highly reminiscent of a microchip. In it’s center was a slight indent, a depression which all the wiring reached in one way or another.

“That,” Elfnein said, “Is an APGED or Apegear. The first one to be manufactured outside the Four Horsemen.”

“Oh?” Kirika, Igalima resting on her shoulder, leaned in so close to the glass container that her nose almost touched it. So that was one of the ways the White Noise matched them. “It’s small.”

Chris shrugged, gently pulling her kouhai back a respectful distance from the machine before she broke something. “So are our ‘Gears when we ain’t transformed.” She glanced at Elfnein. “So what do you need us to do? Sing at it?”

“That shouldn’t be necessary.” Akira said, crouching down next to the cart and opening a cabinet to fiddle with something inside. “From what I’ve learned while reverse engineering it, simply being around the Apegear transformed should be adequate. We just have to turn it on and...”

There was a click and a surge of electricity crackled across the Apegear momentarily, followed by it being enveloped in a thin gold hue.

“It works!” Elfnein said elatedly, her eyes darting between the tiny machine and her datapad. “Phonic gain intake at… forty-six percent! Looks like it’s drawing from Hibiki-san, as its intake matches her output perfectly.”

“Of course it grabs from Tachibana.” Tsubasa smiled as Hibiki gave another of her sheepish chuckles. “She’s always the strongest of us.”

“Hibiki-san OP, nerf Hibiki-san.” Shirabe deadpanned, causing everybody to break into laughter as Hibiki blanched.

“So who gets it?” Maria asked as the laughter died down.

At that, Elfnein and Akira exchanged a glance. “We’re not sure yet.” Hibiki’s father finally said. “Putting it in one of you girls would be redundant. Not to mention it could be dangerous if we put it in the wrong candidate.”

“How so?” Miku inquired.

“Phonic gain interaction is one of the health hazards of Symphogear transformation.” Elfnein elaborated. “You all are so well synchronized with your Symphogears by now that it’s a non-issue for you, outside of Anti-LiNKER that is, but someone with an Apegear in them doesn’t even have relic synchronization to offload that strain.”

“In fact, a modification we had to make to the design was a safety catch that deactivates it if it starts taking in too much phonic gain.” Akira said as he crouched down to shut off the device. “The original design didn’t have that and the physical strain from high enough levels could be… very bad.”

“Age is a factor.” Elfnein continued. “As is physical condition. Additionally, the Apegear doesn’t grant you any equipment or unique abilities like a Symphogear does, just the physical enhancements. So any Apegear user would have to work with their own talents and capabilities.”

“So we need someone relatively young, in good physical condition, and already well-trained in combat.” Tsubasa mused. “Like the members of the White Noise.”

Elfnein nodded. “The oldest among them is Voronin at thirty-two and he’s brushing up against the upper-limit of age in which it would not be risky for him to have it.” Her face fell. “Perhaps Genjuro-san could have used it given his health but…”

A solemn silence fell at the reminder of their lost commander. Even Akira, though he never knew Genjuro, could read the atmosphere of sorrow and remained respectfully silent.

“Ah, well!” Kiria said abruptly. “He was a terror enough even without phonic gain.” She gave a mock shudder. “Enhancing him with it...” Kirika’s smile fell off her face as she looked around and noticed her attempt at humor had fallen completely flat, and she shrank away, shuffling her feet awkwardly under everyone's stares.

“Eh, I guess that’s true.” Chris said, deciding to come to her kouhai’s rescue. “But enough about that!” She glanced over at Elfnein. “Is that all?”

“Chris-chan…” Hibiki muttered sadly. She could read through the Ichaival user’s attempt at bullish bluster. She could see that Chris didn’t like the reminder of what she had lost. At that thought, Hibiki’s own heart panged again at the memory of her old master.

Sensing her discomfort, Miku took Hibiki’s hand in her own and squeezed.

“Oh yes.” Elfnein said, “That’s all we needed training-wise. You can release your transformations now.”

In a series of bursts of golden light, and silver in Miku’s case, the girls reverted back to their SONG uniforms. As they patted themselves down, Maria glanced over at Akira curiously. “So what’s next for you, now that you’ve got this completed?”

“Oh, I still have plenty to do!” Akira smiled. “Like working on integrating the Horsemen’s quantum communications with SONG’s system. I don’t think I can get it perfect, but it should make it harder for them to track us that way. I’m also looking into the nature of Red Unit.”

“The Horsemen’s management AI?” Tsubasa asked.

“Yeah. The development of a true AI is something we often discussed back at my old job and the better we understand it, the better we can fight it. I’m intensely curious as to how the Horsemen managed it.” Akira crossed his arms, glancing up in thought. “We always figured that the national defense grids from one of the major militaries would provide the best base, but here it seems the Horsemen have developed one from scratch.”

“That aside, it’s Monday.” Elfnein pointed out. “And you all know what that means.”

“Waaah! Medical check-up day!” Hibiki jumped back in fright. “Not more needles!”

Chris rolled her eyes at that and muttered under her breath. “The heroine of the world, everyone.”

“Hibiki…” Miku said firmly. “You know this is important. And I’ll be right there beside you.”

“Well, I best leave that to you Elfnein-san. Biology isn’t my expertise.” Akira said as he grabbed the cart and began to push it towards the door. “I’ll see you all at the briefing after the exam!”

—

Less than an hour later, Kirika and Shirabe stepped out into the waiting room of the medical ward in the SONG Headquarters, the latter rubbing at her shoulder where Elfnein had taken a blood sample. Hibiki had managed to finagle her check-up to be last and Miku insisted that she take hers along with Hibiki’s, so those two were the only adaptors absent from the room at the moment. Chris and Maria had a fashion magazine laid out on the table between them, engaging in a lively debate on some dresses.

Tsubasa on the other hand, nursed a can of vending machine tea in her hands and glanced up as the two youngest adaptors pushed their way out of the examination rooms.

“Tsukuyomi, Akatsuki.” She greeted, offering them a small smile.

“Heya, Tsubasa-senpai!” Kirika cheered as she plopped down across from the bluenette. Then she noticed the tea. “Ah, I guess I am a bit thirsty.”

Shirabe paused before she took a seat, glancing around until she spotted the nearest vending machine. “Don’t worry Kiri-chan. I’ll get some.” Before Kirika could object, the twin-tailed girl jogged off towards the machine.

“You seem to be in a good mood.” Tsubasa observed, eyeing the blonde carefully.

“Well, Maria’s party went well despite the delay! Chris even managed to get Komichin to join in and she’s finally opening up around us.” Kirika said, getting into her usual cheerful mood. “She plays the Ukulele! How cool is that?”

Tsubasa chuckled a little at the blonde's enthusiasm, deciding not to correct the girl about her own contribution to Komichi’s improved demeanour. Sure, the brunette still seemed unsure of herself around them, but at least she wasn’t a tight-lipped wreck that was always seemingly ready to hide behind Chris at their first approach any more.

“Indeed, I’m glad to see that incident before the party was a temporary thing.” Tsubasa replied, raising her drink to take a sip.

Kirika started, her smile slipping with the facade. Not for long. In fact, it was so quick that Tsubasa’s expert eye almost missed it. But she did catch it, without a shadow of a doubt, confirming her suspicions after what she had overheard from Chris and Maria. Lightly frowning to herself, Tsubasa rested her drink on the armrest of her chair.

“Akatsuki-” She began, but Kirika didn’t let her continue.

“Yeah! It was such a silly thing too, getting upset over a moment of timing, particularly when we wound up having an extra-day anyways. Oh, hey Shirabe, thanks! You’re the best.”

Tsubasa frowned slightly as Kirika eagerly accepted the drink from her returning girlfriend. The swordswoman had enough experience with Maria, Hibiki, and to a lesser extent Miku to recognize deflection. And the fact that Kirika was still like this indicated to the ex-idol that she wasn’t opening up to Shirabe either. Was it shame? Embarrassment?

Tsubasa lifted the tea to her lips, still contemplating how to approach this when the exam room’s door opened with a hiss and both Hibiki and Miku stepped out. The Gungnir user let out a huge sigh of relief. “Ah! It’s over.”

She was loud enough to draw Chris’s attention. Glancing away from Maria, the Ichaival user rolled her eyes again. “Oh, come on. You faced down God without flinching, how could you be scared of a little old needle?”

“Come ooonnn, Chris-chan,” Hibiki pleaded childishly, taking several paces towards the silver-haired girls, clasping her hands together, and going into full puppy-dog eyes. “Can’t I get a little sympathy?”

Chris raised a hand to her chin in thought for several seconds as she stared straight into the Gungnir users eyes. Then she snapped her fingers, smiled, and pointed at Hibiki. “Nope!”

“Wah, so cold!” Hibiki flinched back in mock shock.

Maria opened her mouth to suggest they go to the rec room before the briefing… and then clicked it shut as Elfnein stepped out of the examination room.

“That was quick.” The pinkette observed.

“The results were really obvious.” Elfnein replied, her voice serious. “We all know why we started doing these check-ups.”

“Sumphonia.” Shirabe muttered, threading her arm through Kirika’s as the blonde stiffened in slight fear at those words.

“I started measuring the amount of pressure I had to apply to draw blood in the first check-up after we found out about Sumphonia. There was a minute, but still measurable, increase between the first and second time.” The blonde said. “This time, I had to apply twice as much pressure to get a puncture as that second time. That means the very tensile strength of your skin has increased. And that’s just one of the indicators I’ve been measuring that are all showing increases.”

She flipped her datapad around to show the charts on the screen to the all seven girls who leaned forward. They scanned across them, taking in labels like ‘Grip Strength’, ‘Synchronization Rates’, and ‘Reaction Times’. Every single one showed increases at an accelerating rate.

“It’s beyond any doubt to me at this point: Sumphonia is real.” Elfnein said. “Even had we not discovered it beforehand from the Horsemen, I probably would have started noticing by now.” Her brow furrowed. “In fact, it’s actually occurring somewhat faster than what Professor-One-Oh-Eight’s notes said it should.”

Heavy silence followed that proclamation for several seconds. Maria was the one who finally broached the question they were afraid to ask. “Have you figured out anything more about what it will do to us?”

“You mean psychologically?” Elfnein asked. When Maria nodded, the blonde closed her eyes and shook her head sadly. “No. I have found nothing that confirms or rejects Professor-One-Oh-Eight’s assertions on that.”

“What have you found that we didn’t already know, then?” Tsubasa asked.

“Based on continuing decryption of the Professor’s notes and referencing them against the Symphogear system and what sources we have from the Custodians.” Elfnein said, keeping her tone steady. “The changes aren’t just biological. They are also _metaphysical_. You won’t just become superhuman but you’ll also be…” She paused, casting about for the right word. “Prepared.”

Another moment of silence followed the blonde’s statement as everyone processed those words. “P-prepared?” Kirika finally asked, afraid of the answer she would hear as her question broke the silence. “Prepared for what?”

“Divine Power.” Elfnein elaborated. “As it stands now, with Balal gone, any human could become a vessel of divine power. But there is a difference between becoming _a vessel_ of divine power and becoming divine _in nature_. From what I can tell, the ultimate purpose of Sumphonia is to permit you to achieve the latter.”

“So essentially,” Chris summarized, “If someone who isn’t Sumphonia comes into contact with Divine Power, what happened to the idiot happens to them. While if we come into contact with it...”

“We become gods.” Tsubasa finished.

Elfnein nodded, glancing over at Hibiki. “This is more speculative, but I suspect the case back when Hibiki-san was fusing with Gungnir may have been the same process, only it was malformed and corrupted by the presence of Balal.”

Hibiki’s teeth set, her eyes drifting down to her hands. Hands meant to connect, capable of killing something she now may be destined to become. “I still don’t believe it.” She reasserted. “However this changes us, whether we come into contact with Divine Power or not… we’re not going to end up like Shem-Ha. We _won’t_. That’s our choice, not this ‘Professor’ or anyone else’s.” She lifted her head, returning everyone's stares. “I don’t care that we’ll live forever or be superhuman or whatever. We were promised our future and we are going to get it!”

A pang of envy shot through Chris’s chest at that. Of course, it was so easy for Hibiki to assert that and all the others to nod along. Leaning back, she griped, “Yeah, after all it isn’t as if we don’t have a whole lotta future in front of us. Yippee-ki-fucking-ay.”

Everybody turned to look at her at that, confusion and surprise flashing across their faces. Everybody except Shirabe. “Chris-senpai… I get it.”

“Eh?” Chris looked up, blinking over at the twin-tailed girl. The youngest adaptor, for her part, gave Kirika’s arm one last comforting squeeze before standing up, crossing the room, and throwing her arms around the surprised Ichaival user’s neck.

“Wh-What?!” Chris stammered, although she made no effort to pry Shirabe off.

“It’s unfair… no, unjust.” Shirabe muttered in her ear. “After everything you’ve been through, you’re the only one of us who has to leave _everyone _you love behind. Right?”

Chris stiffened, her mouth dropping open in shock at Shirabe’s ability to cut through the whole mess and laying the problem bare just from that single joke. When did her Kouhai become so perceptive?

But then again… Shirabe did understand. That in itself was a relief. The anger and jealousy stilled.

“Thanks…” The Ichaival wielder muttered back, returning the hug. “I needed that.”

“I’m glad.” Shirabe said as she released Chris. Everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief at that, smiles spreading across six of the other girls as they saw that Chris was okay after all.

Maria checked the time. “The briefing is soon. We better get to the bridge.”

There was a murmur of agreement across the group as everyone got up and started filing for the door. Everyone, that is, except for Kirika.

The blonde contemplatively stared at the wall. She hated getting lost in her own thoughts, particularly at times like these, but after the confirmation of Sumphonia and Chris’s own outburst she couldn’t help it. Guilt welled up in her. Here she was, all tied up over her lack of past, when right there was her senpai with a terrible past and the prospect of a future without the one she fell for.

In her more optimistic moments, Kirika wondered if the feelings of hunger were but a result of a temporary trauma and she really came from a loving and well-to-do household. But in her more pessimistic moments, she dreaded that her past was as horrible as Chris’s except without even loving parents to mourn. But that wasn’t the worst part.

The worst part was, even with that realization, Kirika still couldn’t stop wondering about it. And about how much the Horsemen _really _knew about it. 

‘_How awful am I?_’ She reflected.

“Kiri-chan?” Shirabe’s voice tore the blonde out of her thoughts. The black-haired girl had noticed her girlfriend’s lack of reaction and broken away from the others to get her. After standing by the blonde patiently for the last few seconds, the Shul-Shagana user had grown concerned enough to finally speak up. “We have to get to the bridge.”

“Oh! Right, yeah. Of course!” Kirika quickly covered for her discomfort with a laugh, scratching at the back of her head as she scrambled to her feet.

\----

“We are going to China.” Commander Ogawa opened the briefing almost without preamble once everyone had gathered on the bridge. Hibiki had lit up and waved when she spotted her father down at a station with some of the other lower-ranked crews, which Akira more sedately returned with his own relaxed smile.

Tsubasa arched an eyebrow. “Who's we?”

“_That_ is to be determined.” Shinji answered. “The submarine will be departing in a few days, but an advance team, including whichever adaptors agree to go, will be flown over.”

“Isn’t that risky?” Chris asked. “They’ve got an air force. What if they jump us on the way over?”

“We’re taking precautions.” Souji reassured her. “We’re keeping the planning non-electronic, arranging dummy flight plans, and making non-standard travel procedures.”

Chris nodded, satisfied with that response.

“Okay.” Shirabe asked. “Next question: Why?” 

“Multiple intelligence indicators show that the Horsemen have struck a deal with a faction in the Chinese government and have been stepping up their activities there. Likely to undermine their support and, if our belief is correct, ignite a world war.“ Souji said. “But we don’t have enough information as to what those activities are nor who makes up the faction. Given the political problems, the only way to figure that out is to go investigate ourselves in China.”

“But isn’t China mostly okay with us now?” Hibiki asked.

“Officially, perhaps.” Chris answered before any of the bridge crew could speak up. “Dictatorships like to put on a uniform outwardly appearance, but they're just as subject to factions as anyone else. A group attempting to use the Horsemen as a mechanism to persuade the necessary critical mass of decision makers to adopt a different policy is entirely plausible.”

Tsubasa grinned. “Well, Yukine, I am glad to see you are putting that polisci major to good use.”

“S-shut up.” Chris blushed at the praise. She quickly moved back onto the subject to cover for her embarrassment. “But the corollary to dictatorships hiding their factionalism is that they don’t like people trying to expose it. So we can’t be open with this investigation or actually cooperate with the Chinese government.”

“Sounds… complicated?” Hibiki ventured, although the blank look in her eyes told everyone she hadn’t understood a word that had just been said. Chris just rolled her eyes.

“A covert investigation.” Maria caught on immediately. She quickly looked at Souji. “What’s the cover?”

“We have two.” Souji explained. “First, we will be planning and then executing the turn over of the relic fragment the Chinese wish to turn into a Symphogear. Second, whoever chooses to go will be taking this as an opportunity to take Qiao Cai up on her offer.”

“Ah, that's why you need to bring adaptors along.” Kirika realized. “It’ll enhance the credibility of the cover story.”

“That.” Shinji said. “And it is the Horsemen we are investigating. If we stumble across another facility without any adaptor support, the combat technology they’ve displayed means they could do tremendous damage before we could get you girls over there. The closer on hand you have, the more people we’ll be able to save from them. And stepping up their activity in China means the Horsemen could divert resources to gun for Cai-san or her relic as well, so sticking near them means we might be in a good position to stop them.”

“We expect that some of the White Noise Squad has also likely deployed to China.” Fujitaka observed. “The problem is we don’t know how many.”

“Well, the idiot smashed their man-ape to bits.” Chris noted. She didn’t notice how Hibiki winced at the memory of having to hurt someone the way she did. “We can count him out.” 

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” Elfnein warned as she tapped away at her screen. “Given the technology shown by the Horsemen, rejuvenating a shattered arm isn’t remotely beyond their capabilities.”

Chris shrugged, conceding the point.

“That still leaves the question: who will go?” Shinji asked.

“I’ll go.” Maria said instantly, stepping forward. “If this is an investigation mission, I am the adaptor with the most... _diplomatic _experience, and I can handle myself if I have to go loud.”

“If Maria is going then-” Tsubasa began, but was cut off as Maria crossed her arms and shook her head.

“You have that meeting with the board coming up about the proposal we drafted for Kamogawa, remember?”

Tsubasa scowled at that. “I can reschedule.”

“And how do you think that will look to the board?” Maria asked. “It will be all too easy for them to override you if they aren’t getting the orders from _you_.”

Tsubasa bit her lip, her eyes flickering from Maria to Shinji. The Acting-Commander smiled awkwardly, which Tsubasa knew was a polite code for ‘work it out among yourself’.

“I know, Tsubasa-san!” Hibiki spoke up. “If you're worried about Maria, I can go with her. I do want to see Qiao-chan again. Despite that one instance, she does seem nice enough.”

“Hibiki.” The Gungnir user abruptly stiffened at the warning tone in Miku’s voice. “We’ve only just made a dent in your summer homework. Remember what happened last time you went on a summer mission with incomplete assignments?”

“Ah... “ Hibiki locked up, her eyes darting between Miku and Maria. On the one hand, Miku was right and Hibiki didn’t want to disappoint her. But on the other hand, she could help both Maria and Tsubasa if she went.

And Kirika piped up. “Then why don’t you just go with Hibiki-san? That way you can help her not just with her homework, but also protect Qiaochi while Maria is out helping investigate the Horsemen’s connection with the Chinese. Simple, right?”

“Wizard Stealth might also be useful again!” Elfnein likewise pointed out.

Both of the girls blinked at the Igalima wielder in surprise. Hibiki smiled, turning pleading eyes to her girlfriend. Under both the puppy dog stare and the appeal of travelling with Hibiki overseas for once, Miku’s resolve swiftly crumbled.

“Alright.” She conceded, but then crossed her arms as she resumed a more severe expression. “But I expect you to work on it the _whole _flight over and whenever we schedule to do so while over there, unless there’s a _big _emergency.”

“Really? Yes!” Hibiki sprung forward, wrapping her arms around Miku and quickly pecking her on the cheek. “I love you so much, Miku!”

The black-haired girl flushed at her girlfriend,s sudden show of affection, particularly in front of basically the whole bridge crew. But she still returned the hug. Despite the embarrassment at Hibiki’s often thoughtless displays of affection in front of others, Miku could never bring herself to object to them. As she told Chris at the press conference, it was just like the Hibiki she loved so much.

“God, do that stuff at home.” Chris groaned on cue as she averted her eyes, blushing.

Completely ignoring the Ichaival wielder, Hibiki swung around, one arm still slung across Miku’s shoulder, and shot Tsubasa a thumbs-up. “See, Tsubasa-san? Don’t worry, Miku and I will be there to take care of Maria-san.”

Maria glanced over at the two, arching an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t I be the one taking care of you?”

Tsubasa glanced between Hibiki and Maria for a few more seconds, weighing the options before she finally relented with a sigh. “Alright. I’ll stay here then.”

“This does mean dispatching three adaptors.” Shirabe pointed out.

“Even assuming a worst-case and they send only a minimum of one of the White Noise, those are not bad odds.” Souji observed. “Five versus four is something I’m sure we can handle.”

“It’s decided then.” Shinji concluded. “Fujitaka-san will also remain behind to help provide command and control in the event of an attack here. If more of the White Noise are discovered to be deployed in China then expected, we’ll call upon additional wielders. Any further objections?” He paused, but no one spoke up. “Good. Let’s be ready. Dismissed.”

\----

Jindai University prided itself as an interconnected facility dedicated to the cutting edge of higher education techniques and design. At least that’s what the brochure and college tour guide repeatedly emphasized. And what Yumi and Shiori saw certainly seemed to live up to the hype, with modern classrooms that reminded them a little of the old Lydian, albeit without the absurd differently levelled desks.

But for Yumi, two burning, interrelated questions of the utmost importance remained. First, what was their library like? And, by extension, what was their manga selection like? She hadn’t seen hide nor hair of the expected room yet and just as she was beginning to wonder whether it existed at all, they pushed through a set of double doors to come upon a wide open reading space. Row of bookcases resting to the right as sunlight filtered in through large windows.

‘_Oh, good view of the campus gate.’ _Yumi idly mused._ ‘Would be a nice position for heavy weapons, except the gunners would be exposed to sniper fire._’ She paused at that, shaking her head slightly. Where were those thoughts coming from? Maybe Shiori was right and she should lay off the shooters she had been gravitating towards on the NERVgear for a bit.

Yumi quickly turned to Shiori, who was still paying close attention to the tour guide saying something about the interconnection of all the campus buildings ventilation systems and tugged on her sleeve. The blonde glanced back, and raised an eyebrow. ‘_Really?_’

Yumi nodded. ‘_Yeah._’

Shiori rolled her eyes good naturedly. ‘_Alright, call me when you’re done._’

Yumi smiled brightly and whispered. “Thanks, Shiori.” Before expertly sliding away and out of the tour group, breaking for the aisles of bookshelves. Now… where was the manga section?

She glanced around for a directory and paused as she noticed a black man, standing in one of the aisles, reading a book. People of African descent, usually Americans, were an uncommon sight in Japan but they were hardly unheard nor anything to dwell on, unless you were among the more xenophobic of the older generations. Normally, Yumi would have just taken a moment to note the sight and moved on.

But something about the man made her pause. She wasn’t sure what it was: she didn’t really recognize him from anywhere and he hardly seemed suspicious. Yet there was still something about him that seemed familiar. So caught up in pondering why, she didn’t realize she had approached him while openly staring until he looked up from his book.

“May I help you?” He asked in reasonable Japanese, causing Yumi to jerk back in surprise.

‘_Ah, definitely not American. The accent doesn’t match._’ The brunette noted as she hastily gave an apologetic bow. “I’m sorry. I… uh…” She hastily cast about for an excuse for her behavior. “I just thought I might have recognized you from somewhere.”

The man quirked an eyebrow and Yumi missed the way his body subtly tensed. “Oh?”

“Yes.” Yumi replied hastily. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you.”

The man eyed her for a while, before subtly relaxing. “It is fine.”

“Do you need any help finding anything? To make up for my rudeness in staring?” Yumi asked. The man paused, his gaze drifting across the shelves.

“Do you think you could help me spot some texts?” He asked. “I have a good grasp on Kana, but my Kanji could use some work.”

“Certainly, yes!” Yumi eagerly enthused, she paused considering her . “Oh… right. I’m Yumi Itaba, nice to meet you!”

“Mwikiza Gowon.” He offered. “Likewise.”

The pair took off in search, Yumi following Gowon’s lead. He would tell her the title of the book and they would both consult the directory and scan the shelves together. Yumi would point it out to him if she spotted it first and if he didn’t recognize the Kanji, offering additional clarification for a meaning.

As they worked, Yumi examined the man. Gowon largely kept to himself, never wasting any unnecessary words or engaging in small talk. But he was always patient and understanding whenever he needed Yumi to clarify a symbol’s reading. On the other hand, his book selection was all over the place, and Yumi noted a particular bend towards theological texts during the course of her assistance.

“So… erm, no offense, but are you a foreign exchange student?” Yumi asked after a little bit as her curiosity got the better of her. He did seem young enough to be such.

Gowon paused, glancing over his shoulder at her. “No. I’m here to meet a colleague who works here.” Before she could fully process that answer, he countered with his own question. “What about yourself? You look a little young for college.”

Yumi flushed a little and puffed up her chest in indignation. “Hey, if that’s a comment on my size I’ll have you know I’m in my third year of high school!”

“Oh?” Gowon smiled a little at her pout, his stance relaxing a little further. “Then I assume you are here as a prospective student?”

“Yeah.” Yumi nodded. “A friend and I were touring, and I just wanted to take a closer look at the library.”

“Do you like to read?” He asked.

Yumi said. “Well, mainly manga and light novels. But I’m not adverse to something heftier though. What about you?”

The smile disappeared, his face growing serious. “Reading was how I saved myself.”

Yumi tilted her head slightly, a puzzled frown crossing her face. “What do you mean?”

Gowon turned away from her and was silent for a good several seconds. Worried that she had offended him somehow, Yumi opened her mouth to apologize just in time for him to speak. “Several years ago, I was a child soldier.”

Yumi’s jaw fell further, her mouth forming a little “o” of sudden understanding.

“I had been that way for a long time.” Gowon continued, his voice steadily even. “The militia came and took me from my family, along with many others. Abused us, hopped us up on drugs, gave us weapons, and turned us loose on others.”

Gowon turned towards the shelf to his left, raising his hand and running it lightly over the backs of the books. “At first, I cried for someone to help. For someone to save me. But no one ever came. The torments, the fights, the abuse inflicted and the abuse I had to carry out just kept happening. It just never stopped. The battles never ended. And worst of all was… was how _good _I was at it. Our enemies even gave me a nickname. ‘The Monster’. Because that’s what they made me, a monster with human skin.”

His hand fell and he turned back to her. “Then, one day, we raided a missionary church. I had never been in one before and the bible made me curious, so I took it. That was something that happened a lot: if there was something you wanted that someone outside the militia had, you just took it.“

He closed his eyes. “I had only basic reading skills then, since my schooling was interrupted. But I struggled through. And what I read…” He opened his eyes, an uncomfortable intensity now in them that made Yumi shuffle away a little. “It opened my eyes.”

“What had been done to me and what I had done… they were horrific. But they did not mean I couldn’t be saved. Anyone can be saved, if they just have faith and if they act on it. So I put my faith in the Lord.” Yumi could hear him pronounce the capital letters. “And I took the machine gun they gave me and fought my way out. First, I returned the Bible to the church, then I ran as far as I could from that militia. Once I was safe, I threw away the machine gun and found some missionaries who would teach me more.”

Silence fell, Yumi staring wide-eyed at Gowon who, his tale complete, reminisced over the details he had left out.

“I…” Yumi began, but words failed her. What could she say to that? To such pain and suffering?

The silence lingered another few moments. Then Gowon lifted his head, finally making his conclusion. “What I learned above all from that was that nobody can save you. Only you can save yourself.”

Yumi frowned, her eyes drifting down. That was wrong. After all, just over two years ago she had…

“That isn’t right.” The words were out of her mouth before she realized she was saying them. She froze, afraid that her objection would again make Gowon angry or offended.

Instead, Gowon simply eyed her curiously and echoed her question from earlier. “What do you mean?”

Yumi debated for a moment whether she should flat out say she knew the wielders. She decided against it. Even leaving aside she didn’t know whether the man would believe her, she didn’t want to add that sort of pressure to her life. Not for her own sake, but because it was bad enough they were pressured by the media and had to disguise themselves when they went out in public. They would worry if their friends wound up like that too, especially Hibiki.

Instead, she decided to be vague. “I once had friends who were in trouble at the same time I was. It was... bad, real bad. As in ‘we could have all died’ bad. But we saved each other. Not by ourselves, but together I was able to save them and they were able to save me in turn.”

“Did they really save you?” Gowon asked. “Or did you save yourself by assisting them?”

Yumi considered that for a moment, before shaking her head. “What difference does that make?”

Gowon turned from her, looking at the bookshelf, deep in thought. “There was no one else for me. Except for the Lord, but His salvation is predicated on our own. But I could not do that. How can others save you if there is no one who will?”

“Maybe there were others who could have saved you.” Yumi tentatively asked. “Maybe you just never reached out to find them?”

Gowon fell silent, mulling over that, but before he could muster a reply they were interrupted by a polite cough. The two turned to find a man in a labcoat with light brown hair, a handlebar mustache, and a pair of sunglasses standing at the mouth of the aisle, holding a briefcase. He was looking at Gowon. “Mwikiza Gowon, I presume?”

“Correct.” The Congolese man nodded. “You are the man I’m supposed to meet?”

“Yes.” The man’s attention turned to Yumi, an eyebrow rising in curiosity.

“Oh, don’t worry about me.” Yumi said, feeling slightly embarrassed at the attention. “I better get back to my friend.” She quickly gave a polite bow to Gowon. “It was nice to meet you.”

And with that, she quickly walked away, politely stepping around the new man. He turned to watch her go until she vanished from sight. “Who is she?”

“Nobody important.” Gowon said, shaking his head as he placed the book in his hands back in its spot and walked up to the end of the aisle to stand a respectful distance from the man. He paused, his eyes sweeping the rest of the library to make sure nobody was in earshot. Satisfied they were alone, he glanced over to his guest. “So, Agent, what do you have for us?”

—

“Yumi!” Shiori waved from the cafeteria table by the food hall window. It was the endpoint of the tour and the agreed upon meeting zone if they had been separated. Yumi quickly jogged over to her friend, noting that Shiori had already gotten their meal.

“So, how was their manga collection?” The blonde asked as Yumi took a seat.

“I got a bit sidetracked by a conversation with someone.” Yumi admitted with a laugh. “But based on what we saw, I do think this would be a good place to apply to.”

“Good! Me too. We can add it to the list. We’ll probably have to come back to apply soon.” Shiori said. Yumi nodded as she began to eat, her thoughts drifting back to the conversation with the man in the library.

Gowon was right on one thing, she decided. She couldn’t rely solely on other people. Her thoughts drifted back to that one moment, over two years ago when she was trapped down beneath the Old Lydian, before the little girl Hibiki saved had spoken up. Crying her eyes out and screaming for someone, anyone to help her. How foolish and scared she had been, not thinking about what she could do. Quietly, she resolved never to be in that place again.

“Yumi… You’ve got some ketchup on you, hold on.” Yumi was torn from her thoughts by a slight pressure on her cheek. She abruptly realized that Shiori was leaning over, having taken out her handkerchief to wipe away the offending condiment from the brunette’s face. The sun had dipped low enough that it now shone directly through the window, and as the light fell across the blonde and illuminated her hair. Entranced, Yumi couldn’t help but stare.

When had Shiori become so pretty?

Then Shiori withdrew, breaking the spell. “There, got it.”

“T-thanks, Shiori.” Yumi tried to hastily cover her cheeks flaring, quickly averting her eyes. Why did she feel so embarrassed? “You didn’t have to do that on my account.”

Shiori tilted her head slightly, noting Yumi’s abashed behavior. It was the first time she had seen that reaction from such a stunt. She’d have to ask Miku about what it meant when she got a chance, but she felt it was a good thing and smiled. “Nonsense. You’re a very dear friend to me.”

She was gratified by the sight of Yumi blushing even harder. She was just so cute like this!

—

Several hours later, Gowon tapped on the tinted window of a rented sedan, the briefcase now in his hands. He waited for the click of the locks popping before he opened the door and quickly took his seat, passing the briefcase to the woman in the driver's seat. “This is all the information Agent-Six-Thirty-Nine was able to retrieve from the project’s isolated server, given his current clearance.”

Samantha Acamporra popped the briefcase, quickly scanning the contents of each paper. She didn’t actually bother to read it, but a quick frown worked its way across her face. “That’s it?”

Gowon shrugged. “He was only accepted into the position by the program in the last month, to make up for the losses in cross-project personnel from the Château. He’s still relatively low-level.”

“Not a surprise, given his former history with FIS and all. We’re lucky to have slipped him in as it was.” Samantha muttered, flipping through some blue colored paper. “We already have these floorplans.”

Gowon just shrugged in response. “Verification is always nice, isn’t it?”

“Hm.” Samantha clicked the briefcase closed and slid it back to Gowon. “Looks like that will have to go forward after all. Yet I have to join the others in China.” She glanced over at the Congolese gunner. “Are you sure you are ready for a solo job?”

“I’m used to handling myself.” Gowon shrugged. “It’s all in God’s hands, after all.”

“He helps those who help themselves, I suppose.” The Lieutenants lips twitched as she started the car and began to pull out of the parking space. “Or she, as the case may be.”

Gowon rolled his eyes at the jab. As if that ancient temptress could really compare to the true Lord of All Creation. After all, one was dead while the other remained eternal. Momentarily, his thoughts drifted back to the interrupted conversation with that girl, Yumi Itaba. Thinking on it, he supposed there really wasn’t as much difference. He found salvation through God, while she did so through her friends.

Of course, he told himself, there was still a difference. After all, the types of salvation were not comparable. Other people couldn’t save your soul.

\----

The soft ‘ding’ of the Fasten Seatbelt sign flickering on announced the private jet’s approach to Shanghai International Airport. “The plane will be landing shortly. Please fasten your seatbelts, return any trays to the upright position, and stow any loose luggage.”

“Wah, finally!” Hibiki moaned, splaying herself over the cabin table all her work was strewn across, carelessly knocking some pens and pencils onto the ground. Over three hours of solid homework had left her physically and mentally drained. “It felt like it would never end!”

“Hibiki, be careful.” Miku scolded, leaning forward from the seat across the table and pulling her girlfriend up. “Come on, we gotta make preparations to land.”

Maria hid her grin as the two hurriedly began to pack back up the assorted papers, books, and writing materials that made up Hibiki’s summer homework. Placing the mystery novel she had bought for the flight down, the pinkette quickly fastened her own seatbelt.

“Hey, Miku, is there anywhere in Shanghai you want to go see?” Hibiki asked once their onboard luggage was stowed and their own seatbelts were firmly fastened. The plane was well into its descent by that point, the steady drop in altitude constantly weighing on their stomachs.

But Miku shook her head as she finished tightening her own belt. “I didn’t get a chance to look anything up. But I’m sure Cai-san will be willing to offer some good locations.”

“Mmm, that’s probably true.” Hibiki smiled, stretching her arms. “But right now, I just wanna get to the hotel room and take a good long nap.”

“You’ve certainly earned it.” Miku agreed.

“I wouldn’t get too relaxed.” Tomosato said from her own seat next to Maria. “There’s going to be a small welcoming party at the airport and I imagine they are likely to include Cai-san.”

Hibiki’s head whipped around towards the blue-haired SONG officer. “What?! Why didn’t you mention that earlier?!”

“She did.” Maria pointed out. “Right after we took off.”

Hibiki paused, her face scrunching up as she took a few moments to recall. “Oh, yeah. I guess I forgot because I got all super-focused on my homework.”

She had given it her all for the sake of avoiding making Miku mad, for two reasons. First, an upset Miku was scary. Second, and rather more importantly, Hibiki had been extra-sensitive to her girlfriend’s feelings since they had confessed. She wanted to live up to her sunshine’s expectations and wanted to make her the happiest in the world. Sure, the Horsemen and Sumophonia may have torn away the prospect of an entirely, at least for immediate future. But a life with Miku and her closest friends was still something she could fight for.

The aircraft’s wheels screeched as the plane touched down, jerking them forward in their seats. Hibiki’s stomach did a slight flip at the sensation. It wasn’t the first time she had flown in a plane, but the frequency was rare enough that she wasn’t used to it.

“Everybody has their new communication devices?” Tomosato asked as the aircraft taxied across the runway. “You’ll need the translation programs to communicate properly.”

“I have it.” Miku affirmed as the three adaptors dug the commbeads out of their pockets. “Hibiki’s fa… erm, Akira-san did a good job integrating the technology.”

“That’s my dad for you.” Hibiki grinned.

A thought occurred to Maria, she glanced over at Tomosato. “The software is recent, isn’t it? Do we know whether the inventors are connected with the Horsemen?”

“We’ve investigated the company and they seemed clean enough from what we could tell.” Tomosato shrugged. “But the Turkish Government’s been running some interference on the investigation, since Laodicea Industries cornered their electronics market. The software itself is simply an internal copy though, so we don’t have to worry about any potential backdoor systems.”

With a slight pull, the aircraft rolled to a stop and the engines shut off. Hitting the release on their buckles, the four passengers rose to their feet. The three adaptors immediately retrieved their own flight luggage while Tomosato stepped over to the door.

A few minutes later, they disembarked from the airplane. Instead of moving over to the main terminals, the aircraft had been directed to park on the opposite side of the airport, in a section under the Chinese government’s direct control. A small convoy of cars with tinted windows and Chinese flags had already pulled up a short jog away. As Tomosato and the three adaptors climbed down the flight ladders, a company of MSS agents climbed out of the cars along with two other men.

Tomosato immediately recognized the first of them, who approached immediately. “Guanting-san.” She greeted, offering her hand. “I was not aware you would be coming.”

“Given the security concerns, I was only informed a few hours ago.” The Chinese UN representative said with an earnest smile, taking her hand and shaking it firmly. But his eyes quickly moved from Tomosato to the three adaptors. “And I have to admit, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet some of the Symphogear adaptors, the heroines of the world, in person.”

He turned first to Hibiki and Miku, his smile shifting into something more genteel. “And this must be the lovely couple, Hibiki Tachibana and Miku Kohinata. Or do you prefer ‘Lovebird’ and ‘Rainmaker’?”

Both of them blushed, Hibiki muttering “Oh _god_, those nicknames really spread fast,” which drew a chuckle from Guanting.

Despite her own embarrassment, Miku bowed in greeting, prompting Hibiki to do so as well. “Tachibana and Kohinata will do for now.” The black-haired girl greeted as she ended her bow. “But I’m afraid we haven’t met before…?”

Tomosato beat Guanting to the punch. “Zhong Guanting is the Chinese representative on the UN SONG Oversight Committee.”

“Oh! You’re one of Ogawa-san’s bosses.” Hibiki said in realization.

“A close enough approximation.” Guanting allowed, before turning to Maria. “And you must be Maria Cadenzavna Eve?”

“Indeed. A pleasure to meet you.” Maria smiled politely, offering her own hand as Tomosato had done before. As before, Guanting shook it firmly before taking a step back and looking all three of them over.

“Well, on the behalf of the People’s Republic of China, I welcome you all to Shanghai. We are honored to host you all.”

“Thank you for having us!” All three adaptors chorused.

“It is no trouble at all.” Guanting glanced back towards the cars. “And of course, I wasn’t the only one who was eager to meet you all.”

As if on cue, one of the car doors flew open and the visage of Qiao Cai sprung out, practically sprinting across the tarmac. She was followed only slightly more sedately by a less familiar figure: a young woman the same age with light red eyes and purple hair tied up in a side ponytail.

“Tachibana-senpai! Kohinata-senpai! Eve-senpai!” Qiao cheered, skidding to a halt in front of them. “I’m so glad you accepted my invitation. I didn’t think you’d visit so soon!”

“Well, there was a favorable change in circumstances.” Maria allowed, smiling politely. Her attention however was focused at the newcomer. “And you are?”

The new girl studied the three adaptors with a critical eye, as if she was searching for... something. Apparently, whatever it was, she judged it adequate at the moment because she politely smiled. “Yang Ning. I’m Qiao’s number one fan!” A warning crept into her smile. “So please remember to treat her well.”

“Yang…” Qiao looked at the slightly shorter girl crossly. “Be nice, please.” That drew an apologetic look out of her.

“Oh!” Hibiki said, a huge grin breaking out across her face. “I get it!”

Neither Qiao nor Yang apparently expected that, given the way they turned back to Hibiki and mutually replied. “Eh?”

“Yeah! It’s like I can _feel _the connection between you two.” Hibiki grinned giddily, clasping her hands together. “It’s like what I have with Mi-”

“Hibiki!” Miku said, her face starting to heat along with Qiao and Yang. “That’s presumptuous!”

“Oh…” Hibiki trailed off, her smile dropping from her face. “Sorry! I guess I got ahead of myself.”

Maria shot the Gungnir user a curious glance. How did Hibiki realize that anyways? Normally she was so dense about those kinds of things and this was the first time she had met both Yang and Qiao. Hell, Maria hadn’t noticed it yet. Deciding to change the subject before things got _too _awkward, she quickly stepped back in. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Yang. Please, rest assured that we’ll help Qiao stay safe. And we hope you’ll help her show us around.”

“Of course she will!” Qiao said quickly, glad to change the topic. “We’re both happy you’re visiting.”

“Yes! Certainly, anything for Qiao.” Yang agreed, smiling fawningly at Qiao. Then she turned back to the adaptors. “But please, when she gets her own Symphogear, I do hope you will do everything to help her grow strong!”

“Of course!” Hibiki instantly asserted with an intensity that reminded Maria of Genjuro. “Helping people is my passion.”

Miku just sighed fondly at that, but offered the prime candidate and her... ‘number one fan’ a smile indicating her agreement with Hibiki.

“Well, then I’ll certainly have to give you the grand tour of Shanghai!” Qiao boasted, taking Yang by her shoulder and turning for the cars. “I know you’ll love it! Whether with me or…” She shot a sly grin back at Hibiki and Miku. “If you just want a place for just the two of you.~”

Miku blushed as she caught Qiao’s implication but Hibiki seemed to miss it entirely, nodding eagerly. “Oh yeah! Miku and I were just talking about what might be good locations to go to in Shanghai!”

The Gungnir wielder quickly grabbed her girlfriend’s hand and almost dragged the blushing Miku after the two.

“I’ll catch up in a moment!” Maria called after them before turning back towards the Tomosato and the Chinese attendants.

Tomosato in the meantime approached the final man who stood apart from the MSS agents. He had been hanging back from the group, an impatient scowl across his face as he constantly checked his watch. He had long black hair that showed signs of _far _too much artificial dye usage to stave off the signs of age and faded blue eyes.

“I’m afraid I haven’t been briefed on who you are?” She asked, offering her hand. “Aoi Tomosato, Senior SONG Command Staff.”

The man’s head turned, first examining Tomosato and then eyeing her offered hand for the longest time like an unpleasant insect. Just when the bluenette began to wonder if he was going to leave her hanging, he reluctantly reached up and took the hand.

“Huang Jin.” He said, shaking her hand only for as long as formality required before withdrawing it as if before a snake. “Vice-Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission. I’ll be involved in the discussions pertaining to the transfer of the Shield of Xingtian.”

Tomosato expected him to add more, but Jin quickly turned and began to walk back towards the cars. Put off by the brusque dismissal, she glanced over at Guanting but the Chinese Foreign Ministry man shook his head apologetically. “Please forgive Vice-Chairman Jin’s mannerisms. He has… personal views on SONG.”

“I see.” Tomosato answered as she watched Jin climb back into one of the other cars. She could read between the lines of what Guanting meant. Jin must be part of the Anti-SONG faction and was sent here to keep an eye on them.

“Yes,” Guanting nodded seriously, ushering her along towards the cars, his voice dropping low. “The news still hasn’t reached your base yet, but there’s been a development. Some of the White Noise have been spotted in China.”

Maria finally decided to speak up at that. “How many of them?”

“Four.” Guanting said. “They were not initially spotted here in Shanghai fortunately, but we’ve lost track of them.”

Maria and Tomosato exchanged a look. The latter spoke next. “If there are that many of them, it might be a good idea to call in an additional adaptor.”

Guanting offered a formal nod. “The People’s Republic is always happy to host global heroines offering assistance against ruthless terrorist organizations.”

Tomosato and Maria shared another look at that, this time one of amusement at the roundabout permission. Turning back to Guanting, Tomosato said, “We’ll have to discuss more details in the car.”

“I’ll get the rest from you at the hotel.” Maria noted, bidding her momentary farewell to the two. She turned and swiftly resumed her walk across the tarmac towards the waiting cars. She could barely make out Hibiki and Miku crammed into together with Qiao and her friend in the back through the tinted windows, chatting away with each other. Their MSS driver opened the front passenger door for the pinkette and Maria gave him a grateful nod as she stepped up.

The glint of sunlight on glass drew her attention and she paused, one foot already on the car floor mat to turn her head and look up at the nearby hangar which their aircraft was taxiing into. Her heart stopped momentarily. From atop the roof, the Pale Man stood watching them. Maria blinked in surprise and in the moment her lids blocked her vision of him, he was gone.

\----

**Next Chapter: **Into a Star

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t really have much to say this time around. Chapter’s more set-up as the new arc proper starts. Only thing I’d like to see is if anyone can figure out who the agent Gowon met with is.
> 
> Stay safe everyone, particularly my fellow Americans.


	26. Into a Star

**Distortions**  
**Chapter 26:  
** **Into A Star**

\----

Kawada shuffled nervously as she made her way down the hallways of the 2nd year Lydian dorms behind Shirabe. Generally when she hung out together with the pair, Kirika did most of the talking. When Aimi tagged along, which had become increasingly frequent these days, she joined in as well. But when it was just Shirabe and her, Kawada always felt compelled to try and do something to fill the void in conversation.

“So… where’s Kirika-san this time?” She finally asked, when the awkwardness finally became unbearable.

“Chris-senpai agreed to keep her busy.” Shirabe answered, glancing momentarily over her shoulder.

“Ah…” Kawada said, contemplating the silver-haired adaptor. Her only encounter with the girl was at that party, where she seemed level-headed enough, but the way she came off whenever the media caught up with her made the redhead wonder. “Is she… alright with Yukine-senpai?”

Shirabe smiled softly to herself. “She’s probably annoying Chris-senpai quite a bit. But that’s okay.”

Kawada tilted her head slightly in confusion. “It… is?”

“Mn.” Shirabe answered. “Getting irritated is senpai’s way of caring about us.”

Their brief conversation lapsed as they made their way towards the dorm room Kirika and Shirabe shared, passing the occasional Lydian student in the hallway. Shirabe recalled how, back when their identities had been thrust out into the open, students in the hallway would stop and stare in frequent awe or infrequent disgust whenever she and Kirika passed, before whispering excitedly with each other.

Now, about a month after the event, not much had actually changed on that front. But there _were _small changes Shirabe had noticed: the stares and whispers were much shorter and the few people who had viewed them with disgust no longer did so. A few students had even started working up the courage to wave to them. The Zababa duo always made sure to return those waves, since it seemed to be the polite thing to do. It always baffled Shirabe how returning such a simple gesture would then make those students even more excited.

A student wearing the darker coat of a first-year nervously standing right outside her dorm room, however, was completely new. The girl had a box slung under one arm and constantly started to raise her free hand before fidgeting and lowering it again. Coming to a quiet halt about one door down, Shirabe tilted her head and spoke. “Excuse me?”

“EEP!” The girl squealed as she went rigid and then slowly turned to face Shirabe, her face resembling that of someone caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

“Can I help you?” Shirabe asked, deciding to ignore the girl's reaction for now.

“My… my apologies, Tsukuyomi-senpai-sama!” The girl said, throwing herself into a bow so urgently you would think she was addressing the Emperor. “I didn’t mean to obstruct your passage!”

“Ah… it’s okay.” Shirabe answered, aware of Kawada watching the exchange curiously. Glancing up, she also noticed a second-year further down the hall stopping in front of their own door and turning to watch the exchange. “And just Tsukuyomi-senpai is fine.” Getting addressed as ‘sama’ still annoyed her, but she wasn’t about to turn down the opportunity of someone calling her ‘senpai’. “But, ah… I don’t really mind if your reasons are good, but why were you standing around outside our room?”

“Oh, yes!” The girl blurted out as she straightened up, although her anxious eyes remained affixed to a point just below Shirabe’s knees in embarrassment. She fumbled with her box before thrusting it forward as if it were an offering or sacrifice. “This is for you and Akatsuki-senpai. For everything you do for us.”

Hesitantly, Shirabe reached out and took the box. Cracking it open, she saw an array of sweets lined up in little rows. Kirika would undoubtedly love them and even her own mouth watered a little. “Thank you.”

“Your welcome. I… I know it probably doesn’t come close to paying you back for it all.” The girl continued, wringing her hands, still unwilling to meet Shirabe’s eyes. “But I hope you enjoy them and-”

“Hey…” Shirabe interrupted, closing the lid again. “What is your name?”

For the first time, the girl actually met Shirabe’s eyes, “Eh? My name? Umm...” She glanced aside. “Megumi… Megumi Nagatani.”

“Nagatani-san.” Shirabe said softly. “You don’t have to pay us back at all. We don’t do it because we expect anything of other people, we do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

“I…” The girl frowned. “That doesn’t feel right. For you to do so much and us to give you nothing.”

Shirabe hummed at that, turning the possibilities over in her mind. “It may not feel right, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t. I know...” She offered the girl a small smile, which was returned after some hesitation from the other girl. “If you really want to pay us back, then there is only one thing you need to do.”

“Really?” Megumi leaned forward with slight trepidation. “What?”

“Don’t treat us differently from any of the other students.” Shirabe said. “Treat us as you would have last semester, before all this came out. As just another pair of senpais.”

“I… alright. I’ll try.” Megumi said. “But only if you and Akatsuki-senpai agree to eat those sweets!”

“It’s a promise.” Shirabe nodded seriously. “How about we tell you how much we liked them when the semester begins?”

“Really?” Megumi’s eyes widened in eagerness, awed at the prospect of getting a review from global heroines. “Yes, please! I always appreciate feedback on my cooking.”

“You made these?” Shirabe said curiously. “They look really good. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

“I hope so!” Megumi bowed in farewell. “Again, thank you for everything!” And with that, the first year took off, the nervousness on her face now replaced with one of giddiness. She even turned to wave over her shoulders.

Shirabe just watched her go and continued to stare long after she was gone. Then Kawada stepped up alongside her, glancing down at the box. “Do they really look that good?”

That snapped Shirabe out of it. She glanced up at her friend quickly. “Yes.” Then she looked back down the hallway where Megumi had gone. “That was… new.”

“Was it bad?”

“No.” Shirabe shook her head, shifting the box so that it would cradle under her arm as she retrieved her dorm key. “It actually felt a bit nice. Would you like a few?”

Kawada considered the offer, then shrugged. “Sure, why not.” The conversation lapsed as Shirabe inserted her dorm key only for a thought to occur to Kawada. She choked on a giggle, causing Shirabe to pause.

“What is it?”

“N-nothing.” Kawada bit out as she shook and covered her mouth. “It just occurred to me that next Valentine’s Day… you two… probably Kohinata-san and _especially_ Tachibana-san… you all are going to be getting a ton of _giri _chocolates.”

Shirabe tilted her head in slight confusion as Kawada continued to try and stifle her laughter.

—

“I don’t think these lines work.” Kawada said a few hours later, placing the sheet of paper upon the table and indicating the sentence she was looking at. “Doesn’t really match up with the tone you want to set in my opinion.”

Shirabe looked down at the line and furrowed her brow. “You think so?”

“Yeah. It also doesn’t work with the composition you asked for. How about something like…” Kawada paused, her brow furrowing.

Shirabe stared down at the same, her thoughts turning over. “How about 「_Can bring back the ‘past’ we didn't ask for_」. Then,「_the ‘present’ may not be eternal_」?“

Kawada glanced between the twin-tailed girl and the page, hastily scrawling the lines down on a separate sheet of paper. She examined them together, mouthing them out, then thought it over. Finally she nodded. “Yeah, that works… that works _really _well.”

Despite Kawada’s praise, Shirabe shifted uncertainly a bit. “Do you… do you think Kiri-chan will like it?”

Kawada placed her pen down, turning to look at the Shul-Shagana user. Something about the smaller girl’s pensive expression, the hopefulness in it, caused something to stir guiltily within the redhead’s gut. Something that had nothing to do with what they were working on. “I’m sure of it.”

Shirabe’s face became unreadable again, her attention turning back to the sheets of paper. Yet Kawada remained oddly uncomfortable. After a few minutes, it became unbearable. “I need to use your bathroom.” She said, rising to her feet. “Do you mind?”

Shirabe just gently shook her head in response. At the adaptor’s assent, Kawada turned and crossed the room to step into the small bathroom and close the door behind her. Then she sagged with a long sigh. ‘_What am I doing?_’ She thought to herself, stepping up to the bathroom sink and running the water. She didn’t quite understand why she was helping Shirabe with this. This pretending to be friends thing it was… it was like it had turned into a real friendship! She splashed water on her face, then stared at her reflection in the mirror and slapped her cheeks. Come on, Kawada! Get in the game!

It didn’t feel as enthusiastic as she wanted.

With another sigh, Kawada glanced around for a hand-towel to dry herself off with. Finding none on the sink’s surface, she searched through the drawers. On the third one, she found it and with a satisfied smile she grabbed the towel… and froze as she saw what was under it.

A lone injector, filled with a green liquid that Kawada had only seen in pictures before. Her hand shaking, she hesitantly reached down for the item, almost refusing to believe her eyes, and snatched it up. She held it up to her face, still entranced by it.

Had they… just _forgotten _about this? She had noticed that Shirabe wasn’t quite as level-headed as she seemed and Kirika was… well, it wasn’t like the blonde didn’t have her moments of insight. But she still could be as derpy as they come. It was plausible. And if they _had_ forgotten about it… well, the injector looked disposable. So they wouldn’t realize it was ever gone then.

A smile slipped across Kawada’s face. Finally, after a month of biding her time, things were moving forward. Now her enthusiasm was back. Quickly, she slid the injector into her pocket before drying herself off. She turned for the door, then paused as she took a moment to compose herself. It wouldn’t do to get excited and make Shirabe suspicious of her. Once she felt calm, Kawada opened the door and returned to her place at the table.

Shirabe glanced up as the taller girl took her seat. “I’ve got the next few lines down.”

“Let me see.” Kawada asked, accepting the sheet when Shirabe passed it over. The redhead scanned the lines, making the same considerations she had earlier, then nodded in satisfaction. “It looks good. I’m sure Kirika-san will love it.”

Shirabe frowned at Kawada. It wasn’t anything she could place her finger on, but something was telling her that Kawada was keeping a secret from her. Something that told her with the same certainty that one would say the sky was blue or her own hair was black.

“Erm…” Kawada shifted nervously under Shirabe’s gaze, a familiar kernel of fear working it’s way through her core and evaporating her core. And that strange guilt from earlier was back too. “Is… is everything alright, Shirabe-san?”

“Yes.” Shirabe quickly tore her gaze away, shifting it down back to her paper. Kawada may be keeping something from her, she decided, but that was fine. After all, there were things _she _was keeping from Kawada. And something Kirika was keeping from her. A lot of people had their secrets.

\----

“Hey, Qiao-san, how much does this cost?” Hibiki asked as she pointed at a list of prices on the token machine.

Qiao glanced over from the crane machine she was idling away at while she waited for Hibiki to swap out her cash. “You can’t read it?”

“No, the translation program only does spoken words, not writing.”

Miku took a pause from her drink to speak up. “Don’t spend too much Hibiki. We still have shopping to get to, after all.”

“Don’t worry!” Qiao smiled over at Miku, “I’ll happily reimburse you.”

“Qiao is so generous!” Yang said with a smile.

Hibiki, Miku, and Maria all exchanged silent glances at that. True to her proclamation as Qiao’s ‘number one fan’, Yang was always eager and attached to her childhood friend’s side. She treated the adaptors as politely as Qiao did, yet her slavish support and praise for Qiao struck them as more than a little sycophantic.

Nonetheless, the two Chinese girls were more than happy to show the adaptors around. The submarine was still a day out and Hibiki had made good progress on her homework. So for now, Maria stuck with Hibiki and Miku in their low-key bodyguard duty for Qiao and tagged along on this trip today. In the meantime, Tomosato haggled with the Chinese leadership over the relic and arrangements were prepared to bring Chris over,

In order to minimize the chance of getting outed while in public, the security teams had arranged the outing to coincide at various locations with low-traffic periods. The arcade they were in at the moment only had something like a dozen other people, including the staff. Miku and Maria were never much for the arcade, so for the moment they hung back and let Hibiki take the lead in getting dragged around.

“Right, got everything!” Hibiki announced, pocketing what she hoped was a reasonable amount of tokens from the machine. “Where should we start?”

“I think I’ll opt out,” Maria said. “I’m not much of a gamer.”

Miku glanced over at the pinkette for a moment, making a quick decision. “I think I’ll stay with Maria.”

Qiao and Hibiki both nodded, but a puzzled frown crossed Yang’s face. Her side-ponytail bobbed a little as she tilted her head curiously. “Eh? Don’t you want to cheer on your girlfriend?”

Hibiki bristled at that a little. “Miku’s always cheering for me!”

“That’s right.” Miku smiled, her voice considerably more calm. “Hibiki knows I support her no matter what.”

“Oh, okay.” Yang mused. “I get it, I think!”

“Come on, I know something that’d be right up your alley, Tachibana-senpai!” Qiao interrupted, turning and moving into the array of machines.

“Have fun you three!” Maria called as Hibiki and Yang followed Qiao. Turning to Miku, she smiled gently. “Let’s secure a good position.”

Given the low occupancy of the arcade, it wasn’t hard finding a spot that let the two of them keep an eye on the other three girls. Yang apparently wasn’t as much of a gamer as their friend, as she tended to just watch as the other two played each. It very quickly became apparent, however, that Hibiki was at a massive disadvantage for one key reason. The bulk of all the game controls were in Chinese.

Initially, Miku and Maria were content to just watch. Finally, as Hibiki crashed and burned in a racing game for the second time or so, Miku spoke up. “Maria-san?”

Maria glanced aside at the dark haired girl. “Hm?”

“I wanted to make sure you were doing alright.” Miku clarified. “I mean, you’ve seemed mostly fine, but I was wondering how you have been doing since the incident last month and this is the first chance we’ve had for a little one to one.”

“Ah.” Maria understood and smiled slightly. “Don’t worry, I won’t hesitate. It’s just… fighting enemies that bleed so easily but who we can’t hold back against is not something we’ve done in a while.”

“You still haven’t fought Staples yet for real.” Miku quietly observed.

“Well… when I killed them the blood made me think back to that moment in the Sky Tower.” Maria admitted. “It still does, when I face them in the simulators.”

“You don’t like it.” Miku observed.

“No. But I accept it. It’s just a distant uneasiness at this point.”

“I see.” Miku closed her eyes with a slight smile. “It’s the same with me.”

Maria glanced down at the younger girl at that. “Eh?”

Miku opened her eyes again, idly watching as Hibiki brought out her phone’s text translator to try and help her through a fighting game’s instructions. Unfortunately, having to divide her attention between two different screens and the controls led to only a marginal improvement. “Every time I fight the Staples, whether in training or even at that facility... I feel that same uneasiness. And for the same reason too. The blood reminds me of Emily’s father… and the other people on that ship.”

“It’s not your fault.” Maria instantly said.

“Everyone says that.” Miku replied, her eyes growing sad. “But I can’t help it. I know what I saw, Maria-san. That record the Pale Man showed me… there was no doubt in it. Not the slightest.”

Maria looked back up at their group. Hibiki was getting her ass handed to her as Yang cheered Qiao on, but even from where she was, Maria could tell it was due to Hibiki’s lack of understanding the language. At least the Gungnir user was taking it in good spirits. “Have you talked about this with Hibiki?”

Miku nodded. “We try to talk about everything with each other these days. She refuses to blame me either. And she has her own unease about killing Staples, although that’s simply because Hibiki’s too kind.”

Maria could get that. The only sapient being Hibiki had ever punched-to-kill was Adam, and he had been an unrepentant, inhuman monster in every sense of those words. Even when Vanessa begged Hibiki to kill her, even though she ultimately threw the punch, Hibiki couldn’t bring herself to kill the Alchemist. Funny, how that had worked out in the end despite costing them so much.

“But we’re like you.” Miku continued. “We know they are not really people. We can push that unease aside. The biggest thing that bothered her is Genjuro-san. But she’s happier these days, I think finding out her father is now part of SONG has helped.” She sighed, “Now if only things would get better at Lydian.”

“I’m sure they will. I imagine your classmates will have managed to adjust to the revelations of your identity over the summer.” Maria reassured her before a thought occurred. If Miku felt the same guilt over the people on that destroyer that the pinkette did for… well almost literally everything she did as part of FiS, then did that mean... “Then do you also fight to atone? Or do you still do it to protect Hibiki?”

Miku pursed her lips, contemplating the question as she eyed Hibiki’s comforting back. “At this point, I think they are one and the same.”

Across the aisle, Hibiki slumped forward overdramatically as her avatar went sailing over the stage boundaries in the final round. Qiao smiled and patted the Gungnir user on the shoulder sympathetically as Yang cheered.

“Speaking of that day in the Sky Tower…” Maria started, causing Miku to send her a questioning glance. “I never apologized to you, for what I did.”

“But you did?” Miku said curiously. “With my father…”

“Yes, but that was me apologizing to your father, not to you. So...” Maria turned to look at Miku square in the eyes before lowering her head. “Miku Kohinata, I’m deeply sorry, for all the horrible things I did to you that week. It remains among the most shameful moments of the lowest point in my life.”

Miku stared back, then sighed and shook her head. “Maria Cadenzavna Eve, I forgive you, of course. I’m glad to count you among my most precious friends. And besides… you could have done much worse.”

“Worse?” Maria looked up, a frown crossing her face. “How could I have possibly done worse?”

“You could have left me to die.”

Maria’s face twisted in horror at the very thought. To lose Miku and take her away from Hibiki after all they had been through disgusted her. Yet thinking back to then, it would have been too easy for Maria to do. She didn’t know Miku then and had Miku not reminded her a little of Serena in that one instant, the pinkette might very well have just left the younger girl there to die.

“And I also made a mistake to trust Dr. Ver that day.” Miku continued, but her expression turned thoughtful. “But… if you think about it, if you had not kidnapped me or if I had not trusted the Doctor, I could not have worn the Shenshoujing. While that means Emily’s father and his comrades may have lived, it also means Hibiki would have died. The Frontier would not have been unsealed-”

“-The moon would have fallen and humanity would have died.” Maria finished, turned away from Miku and back to where Hibiki was having an inaudible conversation with the two Chinese girls, probably over what game to play next. “The blessings in our curses.”

“Mmm.” Miku agreed, but her next words seemed more directed at herself. “Does that really make up for it?”

Maria glanced again at Miku, considering that question. “It… it doesn’t feel like it.”

“Yeah…” Miku agreed, giving Maria another sad little smile. “I guess the only thing to do then, is to keep trying to do better.”

“Maria-san, Miku!” The two girls' attention was drawn by Hibiki walking back up with Qiao and Yang in tow, the latter two muttering amongst themselves.

“Oh?” Miku asked. “Did you run out of tokens already?”

“Nah, I still got a few left.” Hibiki said.

Yang looked up from Qiao and gestured back towards the arcade’s floor. “It’s just starting to get a bit crowded, so we think we should move on before someone recognizes one of you.”

Maria and Miku leaned around to look past Qiao and indeed saw that the number of people entering the arcade was rising rapidly. Whereas before there had only been around a dozen people, now there were something to the order of three or four dozen.

“That’s a sound idea.” Miku agreed.

“Although,” Qiao quipped, an eager grin coming across her face that set off warning bells in Maria’s head. “Perhaps this could be an opportunity for an impromptu autograph session! What do you think?”

“I don’t think that will be necessary.” Maria said quickly, before Miku or Hibiki could voice an outright objection or Yang could support that idea. “We don’t necessarily want to tie things up, particularly since I understand Miku and Hibiki will be spending the night at your place.”

“Ah, right, right, the study session!” Qiao laughed. “I’m curious to see how Japan’s curriculum compares to ours.”

Of course, in truth the two adaptors would be spending the night at the Chinese idol’s in order to help guard her from a sudden Horsemen attack, but Hibiki’s summer homework assignments made an excellent excuse.

“Well, Lydian is a private academy, so its standards aren’t necessarily the same as the national public schools.” Miku pointed out.

“Alright, well if it’s decided, onto shopping!“ Hibiki cheered.

—

One of the convenient things about clothes shopping is, outside of major holidays, there are relatively few people buying clothes at any given time. The low-population density in mall clothing made them ideal visiting spots. Miku and Hibiki - well really Miku - had first applied that logic way back on their first outing with Tsubasa that Hibiki had so thoughtlessly called a ‘date’. It seemed Qiao and Yang were playing by that same rulebook.

The dress first caught Miku’s eye in the midst of Qiao, Yang, and Maria engaging in a heated debate over which sort of outfit would look good on Hibiki. They were all wrong, as far as Miku was concerned, but she planned to let them exhaust themselves on each other before adding in her own two cents. That had the bonus of maximizing the amount of time she got to spend watching Hibiki look _adorably_ lost.

The dress was on display and she was sure she had seen it on some women in the street. The wavy patterns reminded her of a kimono but the manner in which it hugged the mannequin’s frame was quite different from the more flowery festival clothing. Not to mention the lack of sleeves...

“Come on Kohinata-san, what do you think?” Yang asked, glancing over to see Miku staring across the room. “Kohinata-san?”

“Eh?” Miku turned at the inquiry, the spell the dress had placed on her breaking.

“Oh? Something catch your eye, senpai?” Qiao asked as she followed the Shenshoujing user’s previous gaze. “Ooh! A Qipao! Good choice.”

“Qipao?” Maria asked, raising an eyebrow as she also looked over. “That looks like a Cheongsam to me.”

“Oh, different name, same thing.” Qiao said eagerly. “It was originally invented here in Shanghai, you know?”

“Oh, a piece of Shanghai clothing?” Hibiki asked, her eyes lighting up. “I want to see Miku wear it!”

Miku began to blush, a little bit of nervousness rushing through her. “Well, that settles that then!” Qiao grinned, turning and waving towards one of the store clerks. “Hey, miss!”

“May I help you?” The woman asked as she walked over.

“Yes, my friend here would like to get fitted for a Qipao.” Qiao motioned over to Miku.

“Well then, let’s…” The woman trailed off as she examined Miku closely, her eyes widening in recognition and amazement. “Oh-!”

Acting almost on instinct, Miku lunged forward and clasped her hands over the stunned attendant’s mouth before she could shout. “I’m sure you don’t want to cause a scene in your store.” The Shenshoujing User laughed nervously.

The woman didn’t answer, just staring back in wide-eyed astonishment.

“Look, how about this.” Yang offered, “Help us out without causing a fuss and you can get exclusive autographs from three Symphogears, plus the great Qiao Cai for no additional charge.” She waved her hand towards her own friend, drawing the attendant’s attention over to Qiao. The Chinese idol preened a little at the attention, although she missed how the attendant didn’t look quite as impressed at her.

“Does that sound fair?” Maria asked, quickly following Yang’s lead.

The attendant nodded, and with a sigh of relief Miku withdrew her hand. “Ah… sorry about that.”

“It’s, ah… fine.” The attendant said, looking no less starstruck but at least she wasn’t shouting. “We should get you measured and fitted, I guess.” She ushered the group over towards the fitting rooms.

Maria turned away from the group. “I spotted a vending machine nearby, so I’m going to get a drink real fast while you get started. Anyone want anything.”

“I think we’re good!” Hibiki said, glancing over at the other three who nodded in reply. Maria’s trip there and back took less than a minute, but when she returned she found Hibiki by herself lingering a little ways away from the changing rooms.

“Qiao and Yang-chan said they want it to be a surprise for me when Miku gets finished.” Hibiki offered an explanation. Maria nodded in understanding at that, sidling up alongside the Gungnir user as she took a sip. For several moments, a silence hung between the two before Maria decided it might be a good idea to see how much Miku’s explanation earlier checked out on the other side of the relationship.

“I talked with Miku at the arcade earlier. She told me a little about how you are doing these days.”

“Oh?” Hibiki glanced over curiously. “Yeah… we try to share everything with each other.” The Gungnir user frowned. “I hate all the ways she’s hurting herself. I hate it and yet I can’t seem to do anything about it.”

“She said as much.” Maria observed. “Well, everything except that last part, because I think she disagrees.”

“Eh?” Hibiki asked in surprise.

Maria shot the Gungnir user the most sincere look she could. “You’re there for her.”

Hibiki opened her mouth to reply then clicked it closed again as she continued to think about that. The conversation lapsed again, with Hibiki mulling over Maria’s words. Maria watched the Gungnir user for a little before, before she started to raise her drink to her lips again.

“So when are you going to tell Tsubasa-san you love her?” Hibiki asked with zero preamble.

Maria froze with the cup half raised to her mouth, thankful the Gungnir user had not asked that mid-sip. The way her breath had caught in surprise at that meant she would have certainly choked. Turning her head in astonishment, the pinkette asked. “When did you realize?”

“Just before we left Japan, as you and Tsubasa-san were saying goodbye to each other.” Hibiki said, casually sorting through clothes whose labels she couldn’t read. “I just got this… feeling.”

“A ‘feeling’?” Maria asked skeptically. “Hibiki, you were shocked when Shirabe and Kirika informed us they had started dating. I’m pretty sure the only reason you’ve insinuated that Chris is infatuated with Ayano is just because you like to tease her.”

“Well, yeah.” Hibiki paused and glanced over her shoulder to shoot Maria a ‘no duh’ face. “Chris-chan always gets adorable when you fluster…” Her voice trailed off and Maria could practically hear the gears turn in the Gungnir users head as her mouth fell open in surprise. “No way, Chris-chan **_is _**actually in love with Komichi-chan?”

Maria’s eyebrow twitched as she massaged her forehead. Normally she found Hibiki’s antics more amusing than anything else, but given the subject was quite personal for her she couldn’t help but be annoyed in this case. “That’s not the point. The point is how did _you _of all people manage to get a ‘feeling’ that Tsubasa and I like each other?”

Hibiki paused, dropping her hand from the clothes rack and turning back to Maria, looking serious. “Like I said, when I saw you two saying goodbye to each other it’s sort of like…” She paused, her face twisting as she scratched her head. “I don’t know how to describe it. But I could just tell by looking at you two, that’s the sort of bond you shared. That you loved each other, but hadn’t told each other yet.”

Maria scrutinized Hibiki for a moment. “Come on, there’s no possible way you could know this. Even if you figured out I like her…” Maria trailed off again into uncertainty.

Hibiki hummed, her brow furrowing as she thought back, long and hard. She had to come up with something more, something to let her push Maria past this last bit of weakness. Fortunately, in an unusual turn of events for her, the more she thought the easier it became.

“You know, Maria-san.” Hibiki said, “I’ve known Tsubasa-san the longest out of us. I remember when we first met… well, I guess I was too shocked and over the moon to really notice how cold she was with me at first. But she made it clear quite fast.” Maria raised an eyebrow, wondering where Hibiki was going with this. “But even after we managed to get past that, when we managed to become friends… she still carried this sadness with her. I’m sure that sadness was over Kanade-san. She moved on, yes, but the weight of that memory still remained.” Hibiki stepped right up to Maria, taking her hand. “Until she met you.”

“Ridiculous,” Maria shook her head, “How could our first meeting have been happy for her? Taking the crowd hostage-”

“Oh, I don’t mean _right _when she met you.” Hibiki clarified, flashing an apologetic smile to Maria. She squeezed and let go of the pinkette’s hand, turning away again. “Really, I think it must be when I saw you two for the first time coming back from London. Whenever she was with you, that slight sadness that I always saw around Tsubasa went away. No one else, only you.”

“And you think that’s a sign she loves me?” Maria asked.

“Yes.”

Maria paused, thinking it over. She supposed it made sense. And yet…

_"_You_ know you’re a replacement, right?_’_"_

She had laughed that off at the time, realizing quite well how clumsy an attempt it had been to get under her skin. The subsequent taunting about her past had been far more effective, particularly since it had been so brutally true. But thinking about what Hibiki had said just now, Maria couldn’t help the momentary doubt. “I don’t want to be a replacement for Kanade.”

Hibiki blinked, tilting her head quizzically as she glanced back towards Maria. “Who says you are?”

Maria locked up, her mouth opening and closing. The instinctive answer was obviously Caprice, but then the pinkette had rather swiftly realized not to put any personal stock in what the murderous bomber said. As Maria tried to muster a reply, Hibiki pre-empted her.

“You’ll never replace Kanade. But that’s okay, because Tsubasa loves you for you. And, of course, she still loves the rest of us too, although obviously in a different way.” Hibiki turned and gave that confident grin. And, for just a brief moment, Maria could see why Miku called Hibiki her ‘Shining Sun’. “So… you know, you never answered my question. When do you plan to confess to Tsubasa-san?”

Maria just stared in bafflement, before slowly shaking her head and giving a wry smile in defeat. “Well… I guess it will have to be the next time I get the chance.” She crossed her arm as she thought it over, her brain shifting into planning mode. “After this mission, I’ll have to arrange a private get together at the earliest opportunity.”

“Yes!” Hibiki pumped her arm. “And remember, Maria-san, I have your back one-hundred-and-twenty-percent!”

They both exchanged a confident grins. And not a moment later, the door to the changing room flew open, drawing their attention as Qiao Cai stepped out. “Presenting for your viewing pleasure, Madame Tachibana.” The Chinese idol said theatrically, “Miku Kohinata.”

She stepped aside, Miku stepped out, and Hibiki’s breath was stolen away.

Hibiki had found Miku cute before. She had found her beautiful. Hibiki had found Miku to be something she wanted before, the one person who could bring out her selfishness. But this was the first time Hibiki found Miku desirable in a radically different manner.

The way the outfit clung to the girl's skin, giving shape to her figure. The way the yellow threading - Hibiki’s own colors! - contrasted with her blue eyes and short dark hair. The attendant had even applied a dash of brilliant red lipstick that made Hibiki’s knees feel a little weak. Wasn’t it supposed to just be a dress-up? Where did makeup come into it? Hibiki could barely process her thoughts over her beating heart as her pulse quickened. She suddenly felt hot and unconsciously pulled at her neckline.

But it was Miku herself which delivered the finishing blow. The Shenshoujing’s user voice was extremely hesitant as she shyly stared at the ground. “Do you think it looks good on me, Hibiki?”

And Hibiki answered in the most eloquent way she could. “I… well… you… that… erm, _wow_.”

“Well…” Maria’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she watched the Gungnir user stammer and stagger. “It’s a little hard to process that reply, but I think that is a pretty definitive _yes_.”

At that Miku looked up and was treated to the sight of Hibiki staring at her wide-eyed, mouth agape. The errant thought crossed her mind that Hibiki would probably get another cicada in her mouth if she stayed like that and she giggled.

“What did I tell you!” Yang grinned as she stepped out after Miku. “Qiao is _never _wrong.”

Qiao shot her friend a fond smile before walking over to Hibiki and Maria and holding up a pen and paper she had been carrying when she stepped out. “By the way, we still kinda need to get that attendant her autographs. So, erm… if you two wouldn’t mind?”

As Hibiki, her eyes still focused on Miku while absently signing her name, Yang leaned over mischievously to whisper in her ear. “By the way, I gave the attendant Hibiki’s measurements, since it was in the leaks.” Miku blanched, turning towards the Chinese girl only to blink in surprise as a bag was held out for her. Miku noticed a flash of deep purple within. “She readied another custom-made Qipao in your colors for her. Spoil yourself some time by surprising it for her. Maybe on her birthday? I know it’s next month.”

Yang finished her offer with a wink that caused Miku to blush at its implications.

A few minutes later, Hibiki stood just outside the store entrance alone with Maria again. Miku was changing back into her casual clothes, plus the disguise they habitually wore now, while Qiao and Yang made their purchases. The Gungnir wielder was still reeling from the sight of Miku in that custom-fitted Qipao, coming to grips with a world that seemed like it had slid a little bit.

“You _really _do deserve that ‘Lovebird’ nickname.” Maria said. _That _finally snapped Hibiki out of her funk. The brunette shook her head and shot the pinkette an offended look, to which she replied by just chuckling a little.

But the smile dropped off of Maria’s face in an instant at a sudden commotion from within the store. Both Hibiki and Maria turned, subconsciously starting to reach for their pendants. But a moment later, Qiao burst through the exit, Miku running right alongside her. They skidded to a halt right in front of the two.

“Someone recognized Kohinata-senpai just after we finished purchasing!” Qiao said quickly, panting. “Yang’s running interference but-”

“Hey!” The shout caused all three of the girls to turn. A group of about eight people, a mix of young adults and teenagers, had barrelled around the corner and stumbled to an abrupt halt. They stared, taking in the trio. A moment later, a panicking Yang also turned the corner.

“Symphogear Silver and Yellow are here too!” One of the girls in the group cried, causing more people around them to turn. That broke the spell and the small crowd surged forward again.

“Book it!” Maria shouted, seizing Qiao by her wrist before taking off as Hibiki did the same for Miku. As the pinkette took off, Qiao yelping and stumbling at her raw speed, she activated her commbead.

“Agent Chonglin here.” The gruff voice of their Chinese MSS driver answered.

“We need pick-up!” Maria shouted back. “Western entrance of the mall.”

To his credit, the agent was quite swift on the uptake and responded rapidly. “I’m on the way.”

The next few minutes were a blur of weaving through crowds. Neither Maria, Miku, or Hibiki precisely paid attention to how fast they were going nor did they really notice how quickly they managed to lose their pursuers… and Yang. It seemed like an eternity passed, although it was hardly that before they burst through the mall's doors and quickly barrelled into the back of the waiting car with it’s tinted windows.

“Woah… jeeze.” Qiao said, panting for breath as they settled down. “I… I guess I still have a whole lot to go to catch up with you guys physically.”

The three adaptors started at that, for the first time realizing that they had run across almost the entire mall at full tilt for a good several minutes and they felt no more than slightly winded at worst. It was only then that Maria realized that she had been moving so fast that Qiao hadn’t so much run with her as she had been dragged along by her. The only other time they had ever exhibited such endurance and speed was when wearing their Symphogears.

The trio of adaptors exchanged quiet looks, all of them understanding what precisely that meant. Elfnein’s predictions were coming true. But they couldn’t exactly talk about it in front of Qiao or their MSS driver.

“Yeah, well we’ve had years of dedicated training.” Hibiki finally said, deciding to shelve the topic amongst them.

Miku glanced back at the mall. “What about Yang-san?”

Qiao quickly fished out her own phone and dialed. “I’ll give her a call and tell her to meet us by one of the other entrances.”

“So… after we get her, where to next?” Hibiki asked.

\----

“I’m here to see Professor Makoto.”

The third time apparently was the charm, as the receptionist actually looked up at Chris’s voice. She nodded respectfully at the Ichaival wielder. “Of course, Yukine-sama. Same office as last time.”

“Thanks.” Chris said aloud. ‘_Is she the only receptionist here? Don’t they employ anybody else?’ _Shrugging the idle question off, she continued down to the now-familiar door and opened it. 

Professor Makoto looked up from his sheet of paper and for a moment Chris thought she saw a flicker of surprise and worry flash across his face before it was replaced by his customary greeting smile. “Yukine-san. Welcome back. It’s an honor, as always.”

“I hope my visits aren’t a burden, Sensei.” Chris answered, walking across the room to take her own seat. “I can stop if they are becoming a problem.”

“How could your visits ever be a problem?” Makoto asked rhetorically. He placed the sheet of paper on his desk and clasped his hands over it. “My condolences, over what happened at your award ceremony.”

“Yeah, the Horsemen setting off a nuke heavily marred what’s otherwise been a decent month.” Chris acknowledged. She still had received the medal, even if the ceremony had been interrupted. The Silver Star now sat in a casing she had received shortly afterwards on the same stand as the shrine to her parents, nestled to the left and slightly behind the picture of her birthday party.

The Ichaival user strongly suspected that she’d be adding a lot more medals to that stand in the future. But she had decided that the picture of that birthday with all of her beloved friends would always be the centerpiece.

Well, at least until her next birthday when she managed to include Komichi in a group photo.

Her public standing had also improved. The picture of Chris in her gear comforting the little boy had gone intensely viral and done wonders for her public image. She was still the least popular adaptor, but the gap between her and the others had narrowed immensely. But Chris couldn’t feel as good about that as she did with the medal. It felt like she had somehow taken advantage of the 30,000 people who died.

“So, everything surrounding the nuclear-armed terrorists aside, things have been good for you all?” Makoto asked.

“For me, yeah I guess.” Chris answered, thinking of Kirika. Sure, at first glance her kouhai had looked fine enough that morning, when she had done some window shopping with her and then sparring at the back-up training facility they had ashore. And they had even visited Emily, who Chris was finally becoming less suspicious of. But it hadn’t taken her long to notice the slight brittleness in the Igalima user’s smile and under her eyes. Especially when she thought Chris wasn’t looking. “But the rest of us do still have our troubles. It’s… sorta one of the pieces of advice I’m here for today.”

“Oh?” Makoto said, adjusting his glasses. “Just one of them?”

Chris grinned back at him. “Lucky you, you get a twofer.”

The professor chuckled, motioning Chris to continue. But Chris paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to phrase it. She wasn’t talking about her own problem in this case, after all.

“So, one of the other adaptors is… going through some hard times right now.” The Ichaival user finally said. “She’s always had some issues that she hadn’t ever quite gotten past but some recent events have kinda dragged them out front-and-center for her. And the worst part is, she doesn’t talk about it with any of us. If we try, she always tries to redirect or turn things around to cheer us up. Tells us not to worry. She’s even like that with her girlfriend.”

“So you want to try and get her to open, so you can better know how to help her.” Makoto guessed.

“Yeah.” Chris acknowledged, glad he wasn’t pressing about who he was talking about. “Her girlfriend thinks she might have a solution but if I can do something myself, I’d like to.”

“Well, then it sounds like you already have a place to start.” Makoto observed and at Chris’s questioning look he quickly clarified. “Her girlfriend. Try and talk with her, figure out what she’s doing. You could assist with that.”

Chris paused, considering it. Shirabe had seemed rather certain that whatever it was could help Kirika, but Chris hadn’t bothered to press. And Shirabe would know Kirika the best out of all of them. So if there was anyone to go to, it would be her.

“Yeah. That makes sense.” Chris grinned, “Thanks Professor.”

“Always.” Makoto smiled. “And the other thing?”

Chris sucked in a heavy breath, fortifying her emotions. Okay, she could do this. She trusted the professor. “So… there’s this girl I know. Komichi Ayano. And… I think I have it for her.”

Makoto raised an eyebrow. “I figured you would go to Tachibana or Kohinata for advice on that. They seemed to have had a very solid experience on how to communicate their feelings.”

Chris stifled a grin. “Nah, it ain’t an issue on how to do that. I’ll keep that in mind though.” The grin slid off her face. ”I don’t… I don’t think she’s ready for that yet.”

“Ready for it?”

“She… has self-worth issues.” Chris said, her heart panging at the memory of Komichi’s terrified face back in July. “When she first found out I was an adaptor, she tried to isolate herself from me by claiming she was ‘unworthy’. I managed to convince her to stay with me, appealing to some stuff in our past that had happened. Things have gotten a lot better since, particularly thanks to the help of senpai-”

“Senpai?” Makoto arched an eyebrow.

“Kazanari.” Chris clarified. “She had a talk with Komichi at one point, pointed out some ways she could help us that made her feel better. She no longer just shuts down whenever we try to talk to her. But there’s still this… remaining gap there, ya know?”

Professor Makoto hummed in thought. “It sounds like you’ve already made a bit of progress.” He said as he scratched his chin in thought. The professor remained quiet for a good long while after that. “Is there something you both enjoy?”

“Music.” Chris said instantly.

Makoto laughed. “Ah, of course. That makes sense. I take it she also attended Lydian?”

“Yeah… we were schoolmates.” Chris admitted, a mild blush crossing her face.

“Fell for her there, eh?”

“Sensei!” Chris snapped, her face really blooming. Makoto practically chortled, causing the Ichaival wielder to cross her arms and pout at him. In truth, she was reasonably certain she had not fallen for Komichi at Lydian. Back then… she was hardly prepared to enter any sort of relationship, at least up until the Shem-Ha incident. She still didn’t know when it happened, but she was reasonably certain it came after she reunited with the brunette at college.

That line of thinking made her wonder if Komichi shared the same sort of feelings for her. But she dismissed it.

“Well, anyways.” Makoto said, his face becoming serious again. “That is something for you to start with. Dinner and a movie, going for a walk, getting your hair done, hitting the gym, doing something she loves… try to find a way to make her feel happy and content. Find ways for her to care about herself, not just you.”

Chris processed that, idly reaching up to twirl a finger through one of the strands of her jellyfish hair. Help Komichi find ways to be valuable to herself, to both of them, and not just to Chris. It did seem like something that’d work. And she already had an idea.

“Yeah, I think I’ve got something.” Chris smiled.

Makoto nodded, “I’m glad to hear it. Already eager to run home and start making plans?”

“Well…” Chris paused, recalling the orders that had come in and which she had accepted earlier that day. At least Komichi already knew. “I’m not likely to be able to implement it immediately.”

“Oh?” Makoto sensei asked. “Something coming up?”

“You could say that.” Chris replied. “I’m going to be on a mission soon.”

“Where to?”

The question was so casual, Chris almost answered it. But at the last moment, she refrained. She trusted the professor, yes. But SONG’s security protocols existed for a reason. Instead, she shook her head. “Sorry, sensei. That’s classified.”

Makoto nodded. “Of course, I understand. Nonetheless, I wish you good luck.”

“Thank you.” Chris said, rising to her feet. “Is it okay if…”

“You come again?” The professor smiled, as he stood to escort her to the door. “Chris, it’s like I said. My door will always be open for you.”

Chris paused at the door and closed her eyes, momentarily feeling overwhelmed at the professor’s words. “Thank you sensei.” Her voice cracked a moment. “Thank you for everything.”

Makoto just smiled kindly. “No need to thank me.”

Chris nodded her final farewell and stepped through the door. The moment it clicked close behind her, Makoto’s smile fell off of his face. His posture slumped and he practically lumbered back to his desk chair, before collapsing into it.

“After all,” He muttered to himself, staring blankly at the computer screen as he waited for his handler to call. “I’ve damned myself.”

—

The message came later than the professor expected. As before, the screensaver on his computer vanished, replaced by the red words [15Z601 Connection Inbound - Stand By]. These swiftly transitioned too [15Z601 Link Established - Sound Only], but the Fifth Seal handler undoubtedly on the other side didn’t say anything.

Makoto grit his teeth at that. They were making him talk first. “Yes?”

“Good job, Professor.” The handler said. “You passed. That conversation was useful verification.”

“Fuck you.” The professor grunted directing a glare at the screen. A bark of laughter was the response. “Are you just here to mock me?”

“No, of course not. I’m here for two purposes.” The handler remarked, any humor disappearing from his voice. “First, as I said, to inform you that you passed. Congratulations. You and your daughter continue to live, for now. The second… well, we reviewed the conversation and we found the advice you gave Sierra-Three-Actual quite interesting.”

Makoto tilted his head in confusion. The Horsemen were interested in Chris’s love life. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Nothing!” The handler snapped, the menace back in his voice. “Nothing, at least, that should concern you. But it’s on that point we have instructions for you. The next time Sierra-Three drops around-”

“What?” Makoto interrupted “You want me to start giving her advice that will sabotage their relationship?” He couldn’t help but be bemused by the idea. As vicious and disgusting as the Horsemen were, he always figured they aimed for bigger things than trying to instigate young adult lesbian drama.

But the agent’s reply surprised him. “Quite the opposite, in fact. We want you to keep it up on that point, in addition to information collection. Encourage her. Push her to confess, even. Be the matchmaker. It’ll probably make you feel good.”

Now Makoto was _really _lost. “What… why in the world do you want me to encourage Yukine-san to be in a stable relationship? Are the Horsemen in the shipping business now?”

“In a manner of speaking.” The Agent chuckled before his voice rapidly hardened. “But as to the why, it’s as I said: that is none of your concern. Your concern is to follow our instructions. Do I make myself clear?”

The coin dropped in Makoto’s head as he put together precisely why the Horsemen would be interested in this. He should have guessed sooner. They were going to have him encourage Chris to get as close and lovey-dovey with Komichi Ayano as they could. Get Chris to push the girl past her final hurdles. Get the Ichaival wielder to bare her heart and soul, to enter a proper romantic relationship with her.

And then the Horsemen would show Chris precisely what happens when she tries to reach out to someone.

“Yes.” Makoto answered, his voice wooden. “Perfectly clear.”

“Good. Have a nice afternoon, Professor.” Without waiting for any reply, the handler cut the link.

In the subsequent silence, Makoto stared at his desk. He felt numb. Bad enough he was being forced to betray Chris and her trust, with the threat of his own daughter’s life being held over his head. Now he had inadvertently dragged an innocent young girl into the Horsemen’s crosshairs. A girl whose only crime was to be loved by a heroine. A heroine who deserved so much better than to be hunted like this.

Anger flared within him. Anger at the Horsemen and anger at himself. He tabbed the intercom to the secretary. “This is Professor Makoto, tell any callers that I’ve turned in for the day.”

Without waiting for the reply, he cut out. Standing up, he packed up his items, his mind already racing. First, he had to go somewhere he couldn’t be observed. His house was out, undoubtedly the Horsemen would have it under observation. Makoto couldn’t discount them tasking a few watchers on him, given how much Chris trusted him.

Fortunately, the professor knew a place. A small, out of the way cafe. A sparsely visited location that would be difficult for any tail to keep him under close observation without him noticing.

Then, with no one to listen in or watch him, he could figure out how the hell he was going to get himself and Chris out of this mess. And maybe, if he was lucky, even give it back to those bastards himself.

\----

“We’re sorry everyone!” The registrar clerk called out. “We’re a bit undermanned today and our air conditioning unit is out! We appreciate your patience!”

Back towards the door, Yumi groaned as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Oh, come on. Why today of all days? What sort of college even does in-person applications these days?”

Next to her, Shiori sighed. “It can’t be helped. We have to keep a good reserve of potential schools. Particularly with someone’s grades.”

Yumi pouted in response. “Oh, I’m getting much better. Just you watch, by the time we have to take the entrance exams, I’ll be able to get anywhere!”

Shiori hummed noncommittally, but the look on her face told Yumi she has some skepticism. Still, Yumi had to admire how well her friend was handling the August heat. Shiori was maintaining a perfect poise, despite how the sweat was threatening to dampen her clothes.

That observation brought Yumi back to considering how aware she had become over the past few days of Shiori’s beauty. The brunette would never admit it even to herself, but that moment in this college’s cafeteria a few days ago had certainly influenced her decision to at least add Jindai University to her list of schools. Yumi didn’t know if having a good memory or not was a stupid reason for applying to a school, but she supposed there were worse.

Noticing how thirsty she felt, Yumi turned away.

“I saw a vending machine on the way in, I’m going to get a drink.” Yumi said, knowing Shiori would hold her place in line. Still, she should probably think of her friend as well. “Do you want me to get you anything?”

“Oh, my usual.” Shiori called out after her.

—

_“This is Red Unit. All White Unit battlegroups receiving, execute operation orders. Red Unit Out.”_

—

Yumi frowned as she scanned the vending machine's selection, Shiori’s canned tea in her hand. She growled in disbelief to herself. “Agh! What kind of vending machine has canned tea but not Ramune?! Today just isn’t my day...”

A police officer leaning against the wall at the lip of the alley glanced her way momentarily at that, before going back to watching the students on the main plaza. Yumi paid no mind to him, as her eyes finally alighted on an empty slot with her desired label. Sold out.

“Great.” The brunette murmured to herself. Yumi contemplated her options. On the one hand, she was hot and thirsty. On the other hand, she wasn’t sure if she could memorize the way back to the registration office if she tried to find another vending machine.

She glanced down at the tea she had managed to buy. Well, it wasn’t as if she disliked it. But on the other hand, it was for Shiori. Maybe she should return to the blonde and ask first.

A burst of gunfire off in the distance tore her from her reverie, her back stiffening and every muscle tensing. It didn’t occur to her to wonder how she recognized the sound as gunfire until after she had whirled around towards the entrance of the alley. The noise had been far enough off that it could just as easily be mistaken for firecrackers to the untrained ear.

But Yumi had recognized it instantly.

So too had the officer. The policeman abruptly stood at the sound, one hand going for his sidearm and the other for his radio.

There was another burst of gunfire, close enough that Yumi pinned it instantly as a three-round burst from an assault rifle. Any potential confusion at how she knew that was muted by the sight of the blood spurting from the officer, his body folding to the floor.

Yumi reacted to the sight on instinct, immediately scrambling back and throwing herself to the side, placing the vending machine between herself and the alley entrance. Her mind raced, tearing all the way back over two years ago at the old Lydian. That soldier who had shouted at them to get to shelter right before a flying Noise had plunged through the ceiling…

More gunfire, a lot more. Close and relatively distant. Her chest heaved, as she curled her legs up, drawing herself into the space between the machine and the ventilation unit at the end of the alley. What was going on?

The college’s PA system blared. But instead of the cool and pleasant women’s voice that normally issued instructions, the voice that spoke was masculine, harsh, deep, and distorted.

“ATTENTION. This campus is now under the control of the Four Horsemen. Cooperate and you will not be harmed. Resist and you will be liquidated.”

The Horsemen?! Yumi gulped. What were the Horsemen doing here? This was a college! 

Unbidden, the answer came to her. Universities associate with government organizations to conduct research. One of the Horsemen’s goals was the destruction of the supernatural, including information about the supernatural. The only possible conclusion was that Jindai University cooperated with SONG in some form of relic research. The Horsemen were raiding the facility to secure the research information, use it to devise countermeasures, and then destroy it.

Yumi blinked, _‘W-what? How do I know that?’_

Unfortunately, her mind opted to remain silent on that subject. Cautiously and slowly, Yumi leaned around the side of the vending machine, peeking towards the entrance of the alley.

A single soldier clad in tactical gear, blue optical goggles, and a modified gas mask stood over the body of the officer, an assault rifle held at the ready. His head slowly moved as he scanned the alley.

‘_Staple._’ She realized, although she didn’t know how she recognized them. _‘Clones named for genetic modifications to their brain structure. Cheaper than even robots to produce. The perfect soldiers. Highly trained and unfailingly loyal. They feel nothing._’

The Staple’s head abruptly stopped as its eyes reached where Yumi was crouched by the machine. Clamping her hand over her mouth to stifle a shriek, she jerked back. Her heart pounded in her head as she waited for the masked figure to appear around the machine's corner. But nothing happened.

Yumi gulped, counting to ten, she slowly leaned forward again. The Staple was gone. Had it seen her?

‘_No, it _would _have followed up had it seen me.’_ Her mind helpfully supplied. Yumi let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. The gunfire had also stopped, so presumably the Staples had secured the area and were setting up a perimeter then. Police, the SDF, and probably SONG too would respond.

Okay, so the Horsemen were here to steal research data. That was bad. But at least it meant they had no special interest in her or… Yumi’s eyes widened in horror. Oh god, Shiori! She’d be right out there, easily spotted by any of the Staples with all those other people! What would happen to her?

As before, the information just came to her straight from her memory. ‘_Procedure is that compliants are held hostage to prevent authority interference until research data is uploaded to Red Unit. At that point, the research staff is liquidated and all other hostages released. Battlegroup breaks out if possible, goes down fighting if not._’

Yumi sighed in relief. Okay, Shiori would be okay. All Yumi had to do was wait it out here for help to come. In perfect safety.

While the Horsemen got away.

Got away not just with the research data, but with the people they had killed today.

Yumi stared at the far wall of the alley for a long moment at that. Then carefully, she stood up and stepped around the vending machine. She strained her ears as she crept toward the lip of the alley and the dead policeman, listening for the approach of any Staples or Automen.

She paused at the entrance, carefully scanning the plaza beyond. There were approaching sirens in the distance, undoubtedly the police arriving. She couldn’t see anyone, so she inched out and inspected the police officer’s body. Hesitantly she drew the pistol.

‘_New Nambu M62 snub nose double/single action revolver._’ Unbidden, the technical details came to her mind._ ‘Replaced the New Nambu M60. Standard issue Japanese police sidearm. Nine millimeter caliber, six round swing-out cylinder. Cartridge is-_’

She shook her head to chase away the more irrelevant details. Yumi quickly checked the pistol’s chambers, making sure they were full. A revolver, so no safety to fiddle with. She kept the gun pointed at the ground and her finger off the trigger. All rules any professional would know by heart.

Yumi had never held a gun in her life. She was reasonably sure she had never read gun handling safety instructions before. Yet there was an instinct screaming at her, telling her how to hold this weapon, that this was the right way to do it.

She knew the pistol wasn’t the best against the Staples and their military-grade body armor, but it could still be lethal if she aimed at the right spots. She still didn’t know how she knew any of that. All of this knowledge suddenly springing into her head… it was far too much like an anime for her tastes. The brunette took the moment to relieve the dead officer of his gunbelt and the spare ammunition clips within, making sure to holster the pistol securely.

She glanced around one more time, making sure she was still alone, before hastily backpedaling into the alleyway. Yumi quickly went back to the space behind the vending machine and waited for a few minutes in case anyone hidden had spotted her and followed. Nobody appeared.

So Yumi turned to the ventilation shaft, now actively searching her mind for everything she knew about the Horsemen. The amount it provided her was positively astonishing. A plan was already forming in her mind.

The Horsemen weren’t going to get away with this. She had sworn she wouldn’t just sit around and cry for help. If the Horsemen intended to use hostages to prevent the authorities and SONG from interfering… well, she would just have to open the way for them.

\----

**Next Chapter: **Instinctive Beat

**\----**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So at last, the Yumi sub-plot starts to bear the first of its overt fruit. I find it hilarious that I’ve managed to condition everyone to expect the worst from it. That’ll make the next chapter all the more fun.
> 
> It occurs to me that the humble vending machine was a common plot device in this chapter. I find that funny for some reason.
> 
> Tempted to commission images of each Geah in a Qipao/Cheongsam, very tempted. Any artists taking commissions? Unless there’s some images that already exist...


	27. Instinctive Beat

**Distortions  
** **Chapter 27:  
** **Instinctive Beat**

\----

“Let me go, you brute!”

Finally, the soldier granted Shiori’s request but not in the manner she preferred. She was thrown into the group, falling to her knees as she toppled forward and knocked into another person. She quickly scrambled back to her feet, turning to glare at the soldier, but the masked man was already moving off.

Huffing a little, the blonde turned and glanced down at the man she had fallen into, offering him a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that.”

The young man, probably a student here, shrugged. “It’s alright. Not like you had much of a choice.”

Sighing, Shiori glanced around. They had all been gathered into a dormitory commons room, the furniture of which had all been piled into one side up against the windows. Somewhere in the range of a hundred people were all packed together in the cleared space. Two dozen soldiers stood between their group and the front doors, their weapons held across their chest as they impassively scanned the gathered hostages.

Another trio of soldiers likewise stood guard on each of the branching hallways, including the stairs and elevator off on the one to the west wing. Those rear guards were different, however. Instead of assault rifles or machine guns, they carried large ballistic shields on one arm and compact submachine guns on the other.

Steeling herself, Shiori marched forwards toward the soldiers guarding the front door. They didn’t react until she came within a dozen feet, at which point the one closest to her swiftly shouldered his weapon and pointed it at her feet in a clear warning. The next closest one pointed at her, then repeatedly waved his hand, clearly instructing her to back off.

“Look, do you really need all of us?” She tried to reason. “I noticed you let a lot of people go. Why not some more?”

The soldier didn’t respond, simply waving his hand slightly more insistently for a moment. Testing their resolve, Shiori took another step forward. Immediately, the soldier stopped signalling her and marched forward, coming at her from the side so as not to block the line of fire of the one aiming at her.

He reached out to grab her as he approached, but Shiori quickly threw up her hands and backpedaled. “Alright, alright! I see your point.”

The soldier stopped, watching her as she continued to back off. When she had gone six feet back towards the group, the soldier backed up at a more sedate pace to rejoin his fellows. The one who had aimed his weapon in her direction relaxed and slung it back across his chest.

With a sigh, Shiori turned and returned to the spot she had been placed. The man who she had been shoved into gave her a sympathetic smile, tinged with a bit of his clear fear. She returned it, hoping it appeared comforting, as she sat down next to him.

She continued to maintain her nonchalant appearance as she watched the soldiers like a hawk. But they might as well have been watchful statues. Inside, she squirmed. Where was Yumi? Most of the people had been run off, so chances were she managed to escape. She wasn’t in the crowd of hostages… Shiori had already checked for that.

She had to be okay. Shiori couldn’t bear it if anything happened to her.

“What do you think is going to happen to us?” The college student asked. Apparently, he thought her attempt to approach the Horsemen’s creepily silent soldiers made her some kind of authority on them.

There was only one thing Shiori could actually say to that though. The truth. “I don’t know.”

—

The Automan tore the door to the server room off its hinges, then stepped aside to allow Gowon, a team of Staples, and their inside man to enter. The Staples immediately went to work, plugging in the wireless connections that would let them reroute the data on these isolated server banks into Red Unit’s Quantum Communications Network.

“Do you know what they intend to do with the data?” The insider asked, adjusting his glasses nervously.

“I do not concern myself with what Pale Unit does.” Gowon replied, pacing about in his nanomachine armor, machine gun hanging from his shoulder. Another pair of Automen walked through the door and took up positions on either side. “Given your expertise, you will likely be transferred to that project anyways once we are done here, Doctor.”

“I would rather work on Project Wormwood.” The Doctor muttered. “The power necessary to defeat the gods… to  _ truly  _ let humanity stand on its own without having to rely on such absurdities as the relics.”

Gowon stopped pacing, turning to his guest. “You place a lot of faith in man’s ability to calculate.”

“More accurately, I believe that a power which can’t be calculated can’t be relied upon.” The Doctor answered. “A tool that can’t truly be understood can only ever be of limited use. It can even turn against you, when you least expect it.”

“Yet, at FiS, you tried to do that with the relics.” Gowon pointed out.

“And I was a fool to do so.” The Doctor replied as he stepped up to a laptop a Staple had just laid out, connected to the various machinery laid down. “We had only just begun to scratch the surface of what we could achieve before our organization was scuttled. Years of painstaking research, gone to waste in an instant as we were all laid off. It was only when the Horsemen’s recruiter approached me that I realized my mistake.”

Gowon tilted his head for a moment, humming in thought. “The recruiter… what exactly did he tell you?”

“I don’t remember.” The Doctor shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Interesting.” Gowon muttered, turning away. “Do you think God can be calculated?”

“The existence of the relics is evidence enough of things we cannot calculate.” The Doctor replied evenly. “The God you believe in, should he exist, would obviously fall within that category. Obviously, the difference is that the sort of God you believe in is a far cry from one of the Custodians.”

“You are agnostic.”

“I leave theology to the theologians.” The Doctor answered. “I know your opinions and beliefs, Gowon. I’ll respect them so long as you don’t try to push them on to me.”

“God’s grace will not fall upon those who can not commit themselves to the faith.” Gowon said with a frown. Idly, he pulled back on the charging handle, just enough to reassure himself that the first round had chambered. “But I will refrain, Doctor Adolf.”

—

Tsubasa was on the freeway when her earpiece rang. The Zababa duo and she had watched Chris take off from the airport, but whereas Shirabe and Kirika had to be driven long distances for their own safety she still stuck to her motorcycle. Riding it was liberating, and a more covert means of transportation then one might think at first. With her helmet on and her hair tucked into the racing suit she habitually wore over her regular clothes when using it, Tsubasa was indistinguishable from any other biker on the road.

“Tsubasa here.” She answered, the statement being both the key to answer and the response to whoever was calling.

“Tsubasa-san.” Fujitaka’s voice rang in her ear. His tone was clipped and business like, which immediately caught her attention. “The Four Horsemen have attacked and seized Jindai University Campus.”

“What?” Tsubasa blinked. “Just a university?” That made no sense to her. While they obviously cared little for collateral damage, the Horsemen were like any other military organization: they executed their attacks to achieve objectives. What could they possibly want from a random university?

“The University was coordinating with us on supernatural research.” Fujitaka rapidly answered that concern. “Our suspicion is that they are after the research data.”

“Understood.” Tsubasa said. “Send me the coordinates.”

“Sending them now. Kirika-san and Shirabe-san are also being rerouted, although they are a little further away. Police have secured a perimeter and Ground Self-Defence Force assault teams are being dispatched. Coordinate with them when you arrive.”

“Understood!” Tsubasa ended the call as her bike helmet's internal display lit up with the newly received coordinates telling her where Jindai University was. She gunned the engine and shifted off the turnpike, weaving through traffic with a long-practiced familiarity.

Even without her bike’s HUD, Tsubasa could tell when she was drawing close to Jindai University by the way traffic built up, as police-forced detours slowed everything to a crawl. When the number of vehicles inevitably grew too large for her to remain in the lanes, she slid between cars, slowing only just enough to ensure she would not crash or run anyone over. That drew a few angry honks from drivers who undoubtedly only saw her as some random biker, but Tsubasa ignored them.

Her arrival at her destination was signalled not just by the alignment of her own location with the destination on her HUD, but also the sudden crowd of bystanders who were congregating around the police perimeter. Tsubasa gunned her engine loudly to draw the attention of those in her path as she slowed further, forcing them aside.

Soon enough, the crowd gave way to a line of uniformed officers standing around barricades reinforced by squad cars. They immediately noticed her approach and one officer strode forward, waving his hand as Tsubasa came to a halt.

“Ma’am,” He began. “The area has been cordoned off due to an emergency situation. If you want to drive, you are going to have to take the-”

His procedural address stumbled to a halt as Tsubase cut her engine and simultaneously removed her helmet, letting her distinctive blue hair flow freely for everyone to see. She could feel the sudden intake of breath around her from both the civilians and police alike as she immediately became the center of their attention. But she ignored it, instead looking the officer square in the eye as she dismounted.

“Officer, I am aware of the situation and am here to assist.”

The officer just gaped at her for a moment before drawing himself up. “Yes ma’am. I’ll take you to the emergency command post. Please follow me.”

The swordswoman followed the officer past the wall of police, which freely parted to let her through. Once past the barricade and squad cars, the officer immediately turned left and led her through an apartment lobby, down a back alley, and into a convenience store that had been completely transformed into a forward command center.

The cash register and all the assorted nicknacks had been swept clear from the store’s checkout counter and a map of the campus laid across it. Several men dressed in a mix of GSDF and police uniforms looked up as the officer escorted Tsubasa in. Almost as one, they all stiffened, with one of the GSDF officers saluting, which she quickly returned.

“Adaptor Tsubasa Kazanari,” She said. “FG-Type Special Equipment Unit, Squadron of Nexus Guardians. I have been instructed to place myself at your disposal. Adaptors Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi are also on their way.“

“Captain Takamura Shigeo, Second Special Forces Group Company, Ground Self-Defense Forces.” The captain answered. “I am in overall command. It is an honor to meet you, Adaptor Kazanari.”

“What is the overall situation?” Tsubasa asked, as she joined them around the map. She noted with some slight bemusement that the officers were using different colored mints from the store’s candy selection to represent both the Horsemen’s forces and their own.

“From what we can tell, the Horsemen’s forces constitute a battalion-plus of infantry.” Shigeo said. “There were a few officers and security guards already on campus when they attacked, but they were no match for such a force of shock troops. They’ve got a lightly manned perimeter covered by patrols, with the bulk of their forces concentrated on this dorm and this office. They let most of the civilians on campus flee, but around about a hundred people have been taken hostage. We think they are in the dorm.”

“So what is the plan?” She asked. Captain Shigeo’s answer surprised her.

“We wait.”

Tsubasa’s head came up to stare at him in disbelief.

“They have stated they will release all the hostages in three hours.” The Captain answered. “But if we try to storm the facility  _ or  _ if they detect a Symphogear adaptor before then, they will execute them.”

Tsubasa’s heart sank as she immediately recognized the catch-22 in front of her. The Horsemen’s well-established reputation for disregarding civilian losses meant the threat of killing the hostages was definitely no idle bluff. The authorities had to take it seriously. And she could hardly fault them on that. That to be a true sentinel meant to defend the people above all was a lesson she had taken to heart.

But on the other hand, there was no doubt that the three hour timespan was what the Horsemen needed to pull the data and transfer it to the Red Unit. Regardless of whether the Horsemen were lying or not. This was a first for Tsubasa. To deny the enemy their objective would mean innocent people certainly dying. If she wanted to protect the people, she had to let the enemy get everything they wanted. If Miku was here, then perhaps they could have used Wizard Stealth to put her in the right position to make the threat void. But Miku was in China and the flight from Shanghai all by itself was three hours long.

SONGs data that might advance the Horsemen’s agenda or people’s lives. Tsubasa grit her teeth, but the choice was really a no brainer. She bowed her head in resignation. “I understand.”

“I know it’s frustrating, Kazanari-san.” The captain reassured her. “But have hope. Something may happen that will permit us to move sooner.”

“True.” Tsubasa raised her head again, scanning the map once more. “Assuming they release the hostages at the end of those three hours, we will then commence the assault?”

The Captain nodded. “And if they start shooting them, of course we will have no choice but to rush in as quickly as we can, try to save as many as we can.”

“Good.” Tsubasa said, “Where do you want me and the other two then?”

—

Even given Yumi’s small size compared to them, anime protagonists made crawling through air vents a lot easier than it actually was. Actually, no scratch that. Anime made anime protagonists crawling  _ silently  _ through air ducts a lot easier than it looked. The otaku supposed that she could get to her destination a lot faster if she wasn’t so careful with how she was moving. But her current plan relied a lot more on her being Zwei rather than Thor, God of Thunder.

At the moment, she was huddled up over the grate of one of the smaller buildings tucked into a corner of the campus, cradling a knife in her hands. She had selected the structure based on what she had by now dubbed her Mystery Knowledge was telling her. More specifically, it was based on what she knew about the Horsemen’s methodology in this situation and what she had gleaned from the campus tour several days ago. The structure’s position on the campus perimeter, which meant the Horsemen had to send patrols through it. But it was located behind a wall, so the police wouldn’t be particularly able to easily infiltrate a large amount of personnel. Thus, both the size and frequency of the patrols were at the smallest they could be.

Yumi had already loosened the bolts on the vent in front of her and was just waiting for the opportune moment. Two patrols had already passed through, but she had to let them go as they were too large for her to successfully take down given her current inventory. So she bided her time and waited. Finally, she heard the movement and glanced down through the vent.

A three man team, the smallest Staple patrols could get.

She watched them go as they swept the hallway. Staples didn’t talk, they actually didn’t even have vocal chords according to her Mystery Knowledge, but that didn’t mean they didn’t  _ communicate _ with each other. Communication between Staples was based on minute visual cues, impossible to detect unless you knew precisely what to look for. Hand gestures and more overt body movements often signalled emphasis or communicated more advanced concepts that the cues couldn’t cover.

So Yumi watched them carefully as they ‘talked’ to each other.

“ _ Room left, clear.” _ The lead Staple ‘said’ as it swept past one open door.

_ “Room right, clear.” _ The third answered as they moved past another.

_ “Red Unit instructs sweep hallway, next right. _ ” The middle one ordered.

‘ _ Perfect. _ ’ Yumi thought as they moved under her. One Staple glanced up at the vent as they moved under, but seeing the grate was still in place it didn’t bother examining it more closely.

_ “Air duct overhead, clear. _ ” It ‘told’ the others as they swept past. Yumi waited a second before she carefully and quietly slid the grate out of the way. By the time she was finished, the team had moved past her. Silently, she dropped down onto the floor and crept up behind the rear Staple, reaching up onto her tiptoes as she closed the distance. The adrenaline was on now and she was ever watchful for any sign they might turn around as she unholstered the revolver with her free hand.

The moment of truth arrived as the team crept past a series of hallway file cabinets. The moment the rear Staple passed the first one, she rushed forward, sinking the knife into the side of his head through his right earpiece, straight on into his brainstem. That cut the quantum communications link which connected it to the Red Unit and let it see through his goggles. Simultaneously, she stabilised the pistol on the Staple’s shoulder, took aim at the head of the middle Staple, and fired.

Both were dead in an instant, but the first one was already turning both at the report of the revolver and the alert from Red Unit that the team’s rear man was dead. Yumi left the knife buried in the Staples head and ducked behind the file cabinet, pulling the falling body with her until it slammed into the cabinet. It crumpled down next to her and she crouched down as a spray of automatic gunfire tore down the hallway. The brunette yanked a fragmentation grenade off of the Staple’s chest ammo belt, pulled the bin and threw it down the hallway.

There was the  ** _bang _ ** of detonation and Yumi carefully peeked out around the cabinet, revolver raised. The lead Staple had sought cover behind the other end of the cabinets but the shower of fragments from the grenade bouncing past had caught him nonetheless. He now lay across the hallway floor, his goggles staring straight upward. Yumi raised the revolver and put another round into the side of his head, shattering his own communications link. Only then did she step out from behind the cabinet.

She looked at the body of the lead Staple, then at the middle Staple who was missing a chunk of the right side of his head. Finally she glanced down at her feet to the last Staple, the one she had stabbed. She noticed that her free hand was shaking, even as the one clutching the revolver remained perfectly still.

Holy hell, had she really just  _ done  _ that?

Her legs momentarily felt weak but Yumi sucked in a breath and forcibly reminded herself that she didn’t have time to dawdle. The Red Unit would undoubtedly be routing other patrols this way and she only had a limited time to react. The freak out would have to wait. Holstering the revolver, she snatched up the assault rifle of the Staple at her feet and gave it a quick inspection.

‘_A-209 carbine assault rifle._’ Her mind supplied. ‘_Standard issue White Unit rifle, replacement pending. Design based off of HK-416. 6.8x43mm advanced composite rounds. 30 round magazine. Selective firing modes: semi-automatic, three-round burst, full automatic. Cyclical rate of fire-’_

She shook her head again to push the more irrelevant details away as she slung the rifle over her shoulder and relieved the soldier of his own ammunition and, most importantly, of his grenades. Then Yumi turned back down the hallway and climbed up onto the side table under the air duct she had come out of. With a great leap, she grabbed the edge of the vent and pulled herself up.

She was thankful she had been working out for the last month. Had she been asked to do this before July, she could have never managed. The fit was even tighter with the rifle and additional ammo, but she could do it. Yumi only just managed to slide the grate back into place when she heard the thunder of approaching boots.

The limited confines of the view through the air vent meant Yumi couldn’t see the reinforcements at first, her mind’s eye filled in the picture of the converging kill teams covering each other as they leapfrogged down, checking the rooms in between. Classic fire-and-maneuver in an urban structure. Finally the first one came into sight, leaning down to check the body. At that, she carefully drew away from the air duct and crawled. With the rifle, it was even more of a pain to do so quietly, but she couldn’t afford to give the game away.

With only a little luck, Red Unit would conclude that it was a police infiltrator, someone sent into recon the area through a weak link in the patrol net. If she was  _ very  _ lucky, it would route more patrols into this section of the campus, away from the potential locations they were keeping the hostages.

And if they did realize they had a third-party in their midsts… well, that would be tougher. Fortunately, it didn’t put Shiori at any more risk. They couldn’t shoot any of the hostages without triggering the police assault they were supposed to avoid until they were done and they didn’t have the first clue as to who she was or what her true objective was.

Regardless, now she had an assault rifle. Hohoho.

—

Kirika kicked her feet pensively as she sat in the assembly point, watching the police and GSDF personnel around her move about their tasks, checking and rechecking their equipment, going over plans, and updating each other with new information. She was slightly jealous of them at the moment and their ability to keep being busy. For a Symphogear adaptor, all those sort of things were much simpler… too simple, at the moment.

Tasks? Well, if it wasn’t a briefing, mission, or training then they didn’t really have any tasks, save what odd jobs they assigned themselves. Equipment checks? That was easy: have your pendant and make sure the pendant is your own Symphogear. Done. Plans? Preparatory plans were other people’s jobs and went over in the briefing, everything else could be improvised in battle. Update with new information? She hadn’t learned anything new to tell anyone and Tsubasa had informed the both of them upon the end of their briefing that they would be updated with any relevant information to them.

So now the two were left sitting around and waiting. Tsubasa was constantly checking in with the commanders, Shirabe had gone off to look at the campus from a sniper’s observation point, and Kirika… Kirika was sitting there, alone with her thoughts.

Hostage situations suck, she decided. That thought brought her back to the first Queens of Music conference. Why was she ever so stupid as to go along with  _ that  _ plan?

“Holding out okay, Akatsuki?” A familiar voice asked. Grateful for the distraction, Kirika turned and grinned up at Tsubasa.

“I’m okay, Tsubasa-senpai!”

The swordswoman smiled slightly down at her enthusiastic reply as she took a seat next to the blonde. “That is good.”

The conversation lapsed at that, which was the opposite of what Kirika wanted. “How about you?”

“Oh, a little frustrated.” Tsubasa nodded off in the direction of the campus. “But this is a rather new situation. We never really had opponents who took hostages like this, after all.”

“Yeah.” Kirika glowered. “If Miku-san was still here, it’d probably be a snap to handle…”

“If only things were so simple.” Tsubasa agreed. “But we must fight with the comrades we have at hand.” She paused, laying a hand upon Kirika’s head. “By the way, are you still close with Maria?”

“Eh?” Kirika said, caught off guard by the change in subject. “Uh… yeah! Of course we are. She’s always been there for us.”

“Does she ever seem sad to you these days?”

Kirika froze, her mind racing. Maria? Sad? Well, there were things for her to be sad about, the blonde supposed. The pressure on them after being exposed, the issues with the Horsemen, and the loss of her idol career. But Kirika had always gotten the impression that Maria was coping by helping Tsubasa and helping SONG.

Had she overlooked something? She racked her mind, thinking back to the birthday party. Maria seemed to have a blast there. In the training, she had gotten over the bad memories pretty swiftly and now worked with the same determination as the rest of them.

“I… no. I haven’t seen anything.” Kirika answered hesitantly. “Have you?”

“Yes.” Tsubasa said, ticking the signs off on her finger. “Sometimes, her smile looks a bit forced and brittle. She can zone out all of a sudden. Why, once she had a tremendous mood swing where she was happily looking forward to an event, then she broke down crying. Doesn’t that sound like she’s sad?”

“Y-yes…” Kirika stuttered, feeling awful. Maria had been hurting in such a manner and she never noticed? Thinking about it, Shirabe had never mentioned anything about the pinkette either. Had it been because the two of them had been caught up so much in Kirika’s own troubles that…

Wait… wait just one moment… something was off here. Why did Tsubasa’s description sound familiar?

“She does not seem to want to admit anything is wrong, though.” Tsubasa continued, laying a comforting hand on Kirika’s head. “Not even to her girlfriend.”

Kirika had gone rigid. That did it. Kirika knew that Maria hadn’t gotten together with anyone, whether boy or girl. She obviously had feelings for Tsubasa, yes, but she still hadn’t worked up the courage to confess them. Tsubasa hadn’t been talking about Maria at all.

She slumped, her usual facade breaking completely. “You tricked me…” She grumbled accusingly.

“I am sorry Akatsuki, but you’re worrying everyone.” Tsubasa said, gently rubbing the blonde's head. “We care about you. And we want to help you. I know you want to be the simple-minded girl who doesn’t carry any burdens. But you  _ are  _ carrying burdens right now and you will continue to do so until you let us in. But right now, you are not even letting Tsukuyomi in...”

“I… I think Shirabe already has some idea what’s wrong.” Kirika admitted, her gaze had slipped to the floor and she was kicking her feet pensively again. “She always knows me so well and she’s been trying so hard but…”

“Then maybe a fresh perspective will do you some good?” Tsubasa suggested, her voice warm and encouraging, “And even if not… maybe just getting it off your chest? Saying it aloud to someone?”

Kirika fell quiet as she considered that for a good while. Then she glanced around, making sure none of the personnel were listening in. A few of the officers or soldiers would glance their way, but it was more of a “oh, wow it’s them” sort of thing then they were listening in.

“You remember when I blocked the attack from the Divine Weapon? What I said to Hibiki-san?”

Tsubasa to take a moment to recall. “You said… that you wanted to value other people’s birthdays because you did not know your own.”

“Yes. And I do, I really do. But it’s… it’s only part of it. I don’t know anything about my past prior to FiS. And I’ve been thinking about that a lot, since our first battle with the Horsemen and our identities got thrown out there. I’ve been thinking about it so much even though...” Kirika reached up to clutch her hand over her heart. “Thinking about it makes my heart feel so bitter.” 

Tsubasa continued to gently rub Kirika’s head as she considered those words. “Akatsuki… did thinking about it always make you feel like that?”

Kirika shrank in on herself but she nodded. “Yes. But I was able to ignore it by just not thinking about it. I hid it from everyone and… I thought I did a pretty good job. Although, I guess Shirabe figured it out a little. Things were going so well… and then the Horsemen showed up.”

She turned her head to look up at Tsubasa. “They know my past, senpai. I don’t know how they know, but they do know. In our very first battle, they mentioned it.”

Tsubasa opened her mouth to ask Kirika whether she really thought that was true but then paused to think about it some more. The Horsemen knew about her blood relation to Fudou, after all. Something Tsubasa always thought only three people knew, beside herself. It was not a stretch that they knew about Kirika’s too. And if they knew about Kirika’s…

“Do they know about Tsukuyomi’s too?”

“That’s what they said.” Kirika muttered. “Yet she doesn’t seem bothered by it at all.” She gave a short, hollow laugh. “I envy her.”

“She is certainly bothered that you are bothered.” Tsubasa said, removing her hand from Kirika’s head and instead moving it to her shoulder.

“Senp-?!” Kirika’s utterance was cut off as Tsubasa pulled her in close.

“I’m sorry that this is the best I can do.” Tsubasa said. “I don’t know what it’s like to not have a past. I suppose one of the reasons you are so close with Tsukuyomi is because she does. That girl… Like me, she has walls around her heart. But you are the only one she lets through all of them, both to be with you and to protect you. Don’t you think you could return that favor?”

Kirika lapsed into silence at it again. Then she said. “I… I’ll think about it.” Then she snuggled in close. “You know, Tsubasa-senpai, you give really good hugs.”

Tsubasa smiled a little. “Tachibana once said the same thing.” She released the blonde, looking down at her. “Feeling better?”

“For now?” Kirika said. “A little, I guess. Maybe you were right about that whole ‘off my chest’’ thing...”

“That’s good.” Tsubasa gave Kirika one last headpat before she climbed to her feet. “I think I’m going to go to the observation point. See how things are developing up front.”

“Oh, I’ll come!” Kirika felt the smile across her face come a little easier than before. “I want to see how Shirabe’s doing.”

—

Shirabe sat in the camouflaged observation post, a quiet glare transfixed on the distant campus front. From the camouflaged position, she could see a heavy machine gun on a tripod mount manned by a Staple. A blatant canary in the coal mine, something to tell the Horsemen whether the police would mount a direct assault. She couldn’t see the one that the police and SDF said was apparently “in defilade”, whatever that meant. Probably well hidden.

Shirabe hated being forced to wait like this. She hated sitting away while these bastards, these monsters got away with such an injustice. Something within her gnawed at her to move, to strike down those who would dare to harm the innocent. To deliver them the punishment they deserved. To judge, judge,  ** _judge_ ** …

“Shirabe!” Kirika’s voice broke her out of her intensifying glare and the cold anger welling up from within her stilled. “Are you okay?”

Shirabe glanced over her shoulder to see both her girlfriend and the familiar figure of Tsubasa looking up at her. An unusual position, given her own height.

“I’m fine Kiri-chan.” Shirabe said, giving one last glance at the university campus before steadily backing away and stepping down from the steps next to the sniper team. “I just don’t like that we have to choose, even if this is the right choice.”

“It’s frustrating for me too, Tsukuyomi. But we just need to have patience.” Tsubasa reassured her. “If the Horsemen release the hostages like they say they will, then there will be nothing between us and them.”

Shirabe sighed, but offered her senpai a small smile to indicate her agreement. Kirika glanced up at the sniper post, tilting her head a little. “Hey…” She asked the two-man police sniper team up on the observation post. “Can I have a look too?”

The spotter didn’t react, but the sniper glanced down and grinned. “Hey, we did it for Symphogear Pink, ‘course we’ll do it for Green. Just don’t make any sudden movements when you can see the place and try to keep low.”

“Okay!” Kirika grinned, starting up the staircase. As she approached the top, she ducked down next to the police snipers.

Shirabe watched her girlfriend from down below curiously. Was it just her, or did Kirika seem a bit happier than when they arrived? She watched as Kirika peaked over and peered across the rooftops at the college campus. There was that chipper grin the blonde wore whether she was happy or not, but it did indeed strike Shirabe as more genuine than before.

“Tsukuyomi.” Tsubasa’s voice tore Shirabe out of the watchful contemplation of her love’s mood. “I understand from Yukine and Maria that you are working on something to help Akatsuki?”

“Yes.” Shirabe said. “It’s a surprise though. I think it will be more effective that way.”

“I see.” Tsubasa looked back up at Kirika. “I tried, and I think I managed a little. But I do think it will come down to you, Tsukuyomi, if she will push through this.”

“She will.” Shirabe asserted.

“I know.” Tsubasa smiled. “Because you love her. That’s why I know you’ll always be able to bring her back.”

Shirabe paused, tilting her head a little as she glanced up at Tsubasa. “You mean like Maria did for you?”

That threw Tsubasa off. “Wha-! I… she… I don’t…” The swordswoman's eyebrows furrowed as she looked down at the ground in contemplation. “Do I?”

Shirabe giggled a little at that. She couldn’t help it, the way Tsubasa's character broke at the insinuation was just too funny. Still, Shirabe decided she should make sure of Tsubasa’s feelings, to help Maria as well. But before Shirabe could ask…

“Guys!” Both Tsubasa and Shirabe glanced up at Kirika’s shout, the blonde was hurrying down from the observation post towards them.

“We have to get back down to the assembly point!” She said hurriedly. “Something’s changed!”

“Something?” Tsubasa asked in confusion. “What is it?”

“I don’t know what, but something! It feels like…” Kirika twisted and looked over her shoulder one last time. “It feels like death.”

—

Shiori felt like she was talking to a brick wall. “Look, if you can’t you give us any food or water or anything like that, can you call someone who can?”

If the soldiers heard her, they didn’t show it. For the past two hours, Shiori and a few of her fellow hostages had tried everything they could to get the soldiers to maybe talk to them. They had tried convincing, cajoling, bargaining, and more. But nothing worked. The soldiers might as well have been statues so long as you didn’t try to get too close to them.

Only if they attempted to leave did they provoke any reaction. One man had gone so far as to try to ignore the warning signals and walk out anyway. His now broken nose, courtesy of a rifle butt to the face, was being tended to by a student nurse.

With a sigh, Shiori turned away and walked back over to the other impromptu leaders of the hostages that had cropped up. One of the men in the group, a professor of some description, shrugged his shoulders. “Hey, you tried.” He glanced around. “So, any other ideas?”

“We rush ‘em?” Another girl, clearly a student, suggested.

“Thank you, but no.” Shiori answered. “We  _ really  _ do not want to find out if they are willing to open fire if we do so.”

The girl rubbed her forehead exasperatedly. “Well we can’t just sit here! These guys are the Horsemen! They’ve wiped out entire towns  ** _with nukes_ ** ! They could decide to shoot us all at any moment.”

“But they haven’t.” One of the other student leaders pointed out. “They just took our phones and bags and dropped us in here. They want us here for something.”

“That isn’t much more comforting.” The professor observed.

“Look, since it’s the Horsemen, undoubtedly the police, SDF, and even the Symphogear adaptors have responded.” Shiori reassured them. “They must be working on a plan to get us out as we speak.”

“Yeah… yeah!” The student who suggested rushing them seemed to particularly like that idea. “I’m sure that, like… Symphogear Blue will be able to use one of her giant swords to block them or something. We just gotta wait.”

The other student leaders nodded eagerly, although the professor looked slightly more skeptical. Shiori, for her part, was slightly taken aback by the way the others had latched onto the idea of the adaptors riding to their rescue. Then again, she supposed they didn’t know them on the level she did.

She turned away from the group, looking again at the soldiers standing up front. They remained exactly as tirelessly watchful as they had been since she arrived. The blonde sighed and raised her eyes to the ceiling, idly examining the tiling. There were a few air vents up on the ceiling and her attention was drawn by something that seemed… different about one located directly above the group of soldiers standing by the front entrance.

Shiori frowned and squinted. Was it her imagination or did it look slightly ajar?

The sudden rupture of gunfire behind her caused Shiori to stiffen and whip around. As such, she missed the trio of round objects that fell out of the air vents and amidst the soldiers who were already raising their weapons in response. The relative proximity of the resulting explosions caused the blonde to involuntarily duck forward with everyone else, away from the noise and pressure she felt at her back. 

The initial gunfire was joined by three more and Shiori picked herself up to witness one of the guards from the rear right hallway advancing forward across the top of the dorm’s intersection. His shield was raised and his submachine gun looped around it, firing as he advanced. And out of the left hallway, where the staircase and elevator were, a small, thin canister flew out and across the intersection.

The bangs of the flash grenade detonating were loud enough from where Shiori stood, but it was obviously much more unpleasant for the soldier, who stumbled forward in disorientation. Almost immediately, he moved to right himself again. But before he could bring up his shield again, there was a gunshot and his head snapped back, a squirt of blood spraying out to stain the carpet. Two more gunshots rang out in quick sequence and the bodies of the soldier’s equally disoriented colleagues toppled into view, bleeding from clear exit wounds in the head.

Shiori uncovered her ears and blinked rapidly, still stunned by the rapid disorientation of the brief firefight. As she tried to regain her wits, their apparent savior emerged from the left hall, tossing aside the ballistics shield they had crouched behind as they fought. Shiori’s mouth fell open in astonishment and disbelief.

“Yumi?!”

She almost didn’t recognize her crush. Sure, she still saw the short, pig-tailed brunette. But the way she carried herself, the look of raw determination in her eyes, the confidence with which she held that assault rifle… it was a world away from the Yumi Itaba that Shiori knew and loved.

“We don’t have much time!” Yumi shouted as she quickly sprinted across the dorm room, looping around the surprised hostages. She ran right up to a bookcase standing next to one of the double wooden doors at the entrance and began to push against it. “Someone, please help!”

Shiori snapped out of it at her desperate cry. Startling combat abilities and strange behavior or not, she couldn’t deny a cry for help from Yumi. She raced up and quickly grabbed the bookcase as she heard the outer-set of doors in the dorm atrium slam open, undoubtedly soldiers from outside trying to race in. With a heave, the two toppled the bookcase just in time, as no sooner had it fallen then the double doors heaved as the Staples ran into them.

“That won’t stop them for long! They’ll bring up breaching tools soon enough!” Yumi shouted, pre-empting any questions from Shiori as she grabbed the blonde’s hand and dragged her away. “Everyone, up the stairs to the top floor! Let’s go! We need to buy as much time as possible until the authorities arrive!”

The crowd hesitated, but Yumi bellowed in the loudest and most authoritative voice Shiori had ever heard out of her. “ **Move!** ”

And the crowd was off, rushing up the staircase as fast as they could, Yumi dragged Shiori forward. “The assault should begin any moment now. Once it does, most of their attention will be on fending it off, not retaking the hostages. That should buy more than enough time for Hibiki and her friends too get here and-”

“Yumi!” Shiori shouted, finally regaining enough of her wits to plant her feet down and bring the brunette otaku to a stumbling halt at the foot of the stairs. “What is going on?! You-you killed them!”

“Killed them-oh right, you don’t know.” Yumi shook her head. “Shiori, please. Trust me. I’ve got all this information piling into my brain. It’s telling me things like how to use these-” She hefted the assault rifle cradled in one arm. “-as efficiently as I could ever hope to.”

“What… that’s-” Shiori’s reply was cut off by a crash from behind them. Both girls turned around to see that one of the bookcases had toppled over, and a handheld battering ram had busted a hole in the double door.

“No time!” Yumi shouted as she resumed running up the stairs, this time with Shiori letting her pull her along up after the crowd. “I’ve blocked all the floors below the top one already, and they should try to comb them one-by-one. Between that and the draw off from the police assault, you should have more than enough time if we blockade the top floor right.”

“How? How do you know this?” Shiori asked as she raced alongside her friend.

“It’s all the Horsemen’s doctrine… the manual with which they fight!” Yumi said hurriedly.

Shiori blinked several times. “Their doc- how do you know the Horsemen’s doctrine?!”

“I don’t know!” Yumi shouted back as they started up the final flight. “It’s like I just know it all once I know what to look for.” She gave a breathless laugh as they raced through the top set of doors. “It’s like something out of an anime.”

In spite of witnessing the brunette just ruthlessly gun down three men, Shiori gave a sigh of relief at that. Despite the pile of other questions that burned in her mind now, that final line at least answered one of the most burning. This definitely was still the Yumi that Shiori knew and loved.

But still… that left a whole lot of other questions.

“How are you remaining so calm?” Shiori asked.

“Oh, I’m freaking out.” Yumi answered calmly as she kicked the stoppers out and swung the doors closed. “I’m just keeping it all internal at the moment, because I know if I  ** _do _ ** let it all out now, we’re probably all gonna die.” She paused for a moment and glanced up at Shiori. And for the first time, the blonde noticed the raw fear in those otherwise determined eyes. “I think I’m gonna have an  _ epic  _ nervous breakdown when this is all over, so please… be there for me?”

Well, what else could Shiori say to that? “Of course.”

“Thanks.” Yumi grinned, then she jogged down and grabbed one of the hallway lockers, tipping it over in front of one of the doors. “Now go find some of the others on this floor! We need it blockaded up tight!”

—

“Captain Shigeo!” Tsubasa called as she moved across the assembly point towards the GSDF officer. There was more urgency in the soldiers and police movements now. Weapons were being openly checked and displayed. “What is going on?!”

The officer glanced over from his maps. “Reports from the observers, the Horsemen have rerouted a number of their patrols toward the dorms.”

Shirabe started, her eyes narrowing as her eyes clenched. “Could something have happened with the hostages?”

“Infrared shows the crowd relocated to the upper-floors.” Shigeo said. “But things are not clear. We’re making preparations just in case, but-”

“No.” Kirika’s voice cut him off, the seriousness in it catching Tsubasa and Shirabe by surprise. They both turned to the girl. “We have to move now. Or it will be a massacre.”

“A massacre?” Shigeo asked in bemusement. “How could you possibly know that?”

“Death is in the air.” Kirika murmured, staring off in the direction of the campus. She shook her head. “I can feel it.”

The Captain raised a perplexed eyebrow, clearly skeptical. Tsubasa decided to jump in, regaining his attention. “Captain, I trust Akatsuki’s instincts with my life. If she says we need to act, then we should act.”

The officer glanced from Tsubasa back to Kirika one last time before shaking his head. “Alright, we’ll do it. Just as planned.” He keyed his coms, raising his radio to his mouth. “All units, codeword is Fuso. Execute, execute.”

He gave the three one last nod, which Tsubasa returned quickly before she dashed forward, racing past the assault teams now stacking up for their movement. Kirika and Shirabe raced right on her heels, all of them simultaneously reaching for their pendants.

And at an unseen signal, they sang.

_ “Imyuteus Ame no Habakiri tron."  
_ _ “Zeios Igalima raizen tron.”  
_ _ “Various Shul-Shagana tron.” _

—

[Alert: White Unit Battlegroup 2-344-78-1 Proximity AWF-Signature]

[HVTs Sierra-1-Actual, Sierra-5-Actual, Sierra-6-Actual Verified]

[Sierra-Golf/SDF/Local Assault Underway. Battlegroup Orders: Shield, Delay, Deny.]

—

Gowon frowned as his combead crackled, tilting his head as he listened to the incoming message. Then his eyes widened as an instant later, he was hit with a familiar feeling of empowerment. He stood up from the swivel chair he had been idly resting in, hefting his machine gun.

From where he was hunched over the computer, monitoring the upload progress, Doctor Adolf glanced up at the African man’s movement. “What? What is it?”

“Something’s happened with the hostages and my Apegear is taking on Phonic Gain.” Gowon said. “We have a police assault underway with Symphogear support.”

“What?” Adolf straightened up, scowling. “How did they get loose?!”

“Patience, Doctor. How long on the upload?”

Adolf glanced back down at his terminal. “We’re down to the last 15 minutes.”

Gowon nodded in grim satisfaction. “There are only three Symphogears in the country right now. It will be a little tricky, but I can hold for that long.”

Around them, the dozen Automen in the room spread out, taking up positions across the sides while still keeping each other in their sights. Staples took cover behind server banks, levelling their guns at either the door or potential breach points.

“Yes, but what about me?” Adolf asked insistently. “I don’t have a nanosuit or an Apegear, in case you didn’t notice!”

Gowon shrugged as he stepped towards the door, resting his machine gun over some small guard rails, pointed at the door. “Then hide in a broom closet, if you think you’ll get in the way. But I won’t be leaving until the mission is either a success or failure. God’s will demands no less.”

—

_ Traces of the howling wraiths stretch madly beneath the moon.  
_ _ Tonight I feel pity for the sharpness of my fangs. _

The machine gunner in the open was already dead to the police sniper rounds by the time Tsubasa, Kirika, and Shirabe charged through the gates. Still they were met by a storm of fire from all directions, along with the almost routine barrage of Anti-LiNKER gas grenades. The latter were ignorable with their combinations already dropped down.

Tsubasa and Shirabe ignored the gunfire, continuing to charge ahead in the direction of the dorm that the hostages were undoubtedly held in. Kirika on the other hand, peeled off, downsizing her scythe as she crashed through a classroom window to deftly chop apart the Staples within. It was frustrating that they had to hold back their more powerful attacks, even the ones they could use at this combination, but their orders were to minimize collateral damage. This wasn’t Horsemen property, after all, and the stakes simply weren’t high enough to justify the usual level of destructive fury they usually could exercise against their foes.

Still, Kirika offered no hesitation before slicing apart the team of Staples in front of her. Blood splashed on the carpet as she did so, but she wasn’t about to lose much sleep over the janitor's workload if it meant saving lives. She cut her way through room by room, clearing the Staples from the windows and opening holes in their lanes of fire for the assault teams to storm through. With one structure clear, she would bust through the next window back out and swerve for the next occupied building she saw that Staples were firing from to repeat the clearing process.

_ How would you like your name on your gravestone? Tell me now.  
_ _ A stanza from the death poem for your agony says: Ah… It was inevitable. _

Shirabe wheeled down the campus roads on her  ** _Forbidden Full Moon_ ** , slicing through gunline after gunline of Staples. A well-placed RPG round smashed into her from the right, but she didn’t even waver. If not for the possible imminent massacre of hostages that could be taking place right now, she might even have found it amusing how the Staples kept resorting to such basic conventional weapons despite how it failed again and again to even so much as scratch them.

As it was, she did permit herself to feel a grim satisfaction as she ripped through another gunline. Finally, justice was being served upon those who would harm the innocent. For some reason she couldn’t place her finger on, it felt... fitting that she was doing it.

_ Were we no different from beasts to begin with? Are we to rust and break?  
_ _ Days of endless hesitation and confusion, but today  
_ _ I only offer these heretics this flash of sorrow (Kill evil immediately). _

Tsubasa followed in Shirabe’s wake. Whereas Shirabe was the linebreaker, Tsubasa acted as the mop-up. There were no Automen or armored vehicles to justify most of her more advanced attacks, but the judicious use of a low powered  ** _Blue Flash _ ** could still cut down on the time she needed to chop down the teams of Staples.

But still, the fact she was on foot invariably meant she slipped a little and one gunline that Shirabe tore through had enough time to reform. In order to both catch up and deal with the gunfire, Tsubasa unfolded her ankle-blades and flipped onto her hands into a  ** _Reverse Rakshasa_ ** . She became a blue, slashing tornado that tore through the Staples gunline in sprays of blood, closing the distance again between her and Tsukuyomi.

_ The shining fangs of the hungry wolf are a double-edged sword that will also destroy me.  
_ _ I grind my teeth and spit my blood, I know that yet I consume.  
_ _ Can a sword be called anything other than a sword? Nay, friends call me Tsubasa. _

“Tsubasa-senpai!” Shirabe called over her shoulder. “I see the dorm!”

“Alright, Tsukuyomi!” Tsubasa called back. “You keep going for the facility where the server room is, I’ll deal with any guards left on the hostages!”

“Right!” Shirabe said as she swerved off.

Tsubasa hammered around the next corner and immediately sliced up, bisecting both the Staple and the weapon he was bringing around horizontally. She threw herself into the rest of the Staple’s team, her blade flashing to tear through military body armor, flesh, and bone time and time again.

She stormed up the steps into the building to pass through the atrium… and paused as she immediately noted the shattered door and the dead team of Staples laying on the ground. Tsubasa moved over to inspect one of the corpses closely. It was practically torn apart with fragments. Someone had used grenades on them.

She didn’t take more than a second to process the scene before she heard a hammering from upstairs. Readying her blade, she charged around the corner and up the stairwell.

—

“Come on, come on! Where are they?” Yumi growled. She had slung the rifle over her back and together with about a quarter of the former hostages, including Shiori, they were all piled up behind everything they had used to blockade the doors. The assortment of chairs, desks, tables, and other miscellaneous furniture bucked and heaved as the Staples slammed into it from the outside with their battering ram.

It wasn’t going to last, she knew. The door up here was more metal then the wooden front doors, but sooner or later that battering ram would smash it off its hinges. Or the Staples would bring up breaching explosives. And then…

Abruptly the hammering stopped, leaving an uncanny silence. Everyone shuffled around nervously glancing at each other.

“Do you hear that?” Shiori asked.

Yumi tipped her head a little and listened closely. A grin slid across her face as she registered the music. “Yes! Get away from the door!” She backpedalled swiftly, grabbing Shiori’s hand and pulling her with her. The other people around them duly obeyed.

There was a tear of gunfire out in the stairwell, which abruptly cut off. The music grew and swelled, becoming audible to everyone before a sword sliced right down the door’s hinges. All the blockade material scattered as it was kicked across the hall by a blue boot.

_ “…My name means one who gives wings to dreams.”  _ Tsubasa finished her song as she strode into the room, looking around at the people in the halls. She smiled reassuringly as she watched their faces go from fear to shock to awe to elation at her appearance. Still, it felt right to reassure them. “Do not worry everyone! You are safe now. The police will be here shortly.”

The swordswoman blinked as she noted Shiori, but the blonde just gave a quick smile that said, “ _ Don’t worry about me. _ ”

Giving an almost imperceptible nod, Tsubasa continued with her statement. “I will stand guard over the stairwell until the police arrive. Please, wait here for your own safety.”

The swordswoman turned but someone called out. “Thank you Symphogear Blue!”

Tsubasa paused at that, her head tilting slightly as she looked at the student who had shouted that. Then she graced her with a little smile. “Thanks are unnecessary. This is my duty.”

Shiori sighed with relief as Tsubasa stepped back out, her eyes closed as her head nodded forward. “We’re okay, Yumi! Everything is okay!”

There was no response from her friend.

“Yumi?” Shiori asked as she turned around to where Yumi was standing behind her… only to find no sign of the brunette.

—

Gowon kept his machine gun levelled at the door calmly and steadily. Doctor Adolf nervously kept glancing between it and the rapidly descending counter on the terminal. Then the machine gunner tilted his head as his combead crackled.

“They’ve reached the hostages.” He reported. “Sierra-Golf-Six is making her way here.”

“Alright, that’s it.” Adolf scowled, turning away and walking towards a small nearby door marked “Janitors”. “I think I’ll take you up on the broom closet suggestion.”

“If you wish.” Gowon didn’t even give the man another glance. He idly muttered a prayer under his breath as Doctor Adolf pulled the door open, stepped in, and shut it behind him. A few seconds later, the Congolese man abruptly stopped his prayer. His head tilted, a frown working its way across his face. “Hmm…”

He abruptly stood up, slinging his machine gun under his arms. Keeping his eyes on the door, the African man idly took several steps over to the right.

And then he  _ leapt _ . Drawing upon the phonic gain he could feel coursing through his body, he easily cleared the distance to the ceiling. As he reached the apex, he drove a hand straight through into it, through the air vent and seized the astonished figure hiding in there, dragging them back down as he descended.

They tried to struggle, chopping at his hand in a move Gowon recognized as straight out of the Staples’ CQC training. But his grip might as well have been iron, fortified as it was by both phonic gain and the nanosuit. He slammed them into the ground as he landed. A hand gripped their neck, one knee on their chest.

“You are a very clever infiltrator but not clever...” Gowon trailed off as he found he actually recognized the relatively diminutive figure he now held pinned against the floor. “Itaba?”

Yumi stared back up at him. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, but surprise now mixed with the fear and terror within them. “Gowon?”

Several Staples swung their weapons around, taking aim at the girl but Gowon thrust his free hand out. “Hold your fire!”

“You’re…” Yumi’s surprise was now being replaced with anger. “You’re with the Horsemen?! This whole time? How? I thought you abandoned violence?!”

“I did.” Gowon said. “Until I found out an even worse perversion was being done in the eyes of God. I had to work to stop it.”

“You… you  _ hypocrite _ .” Yumi spat up at him. “You work for the Horsemen! They’ve butchered tens of thousands! The atrocities they’ve committed-!”

“None of them were by my hand.” Gowon said evenly. “The closest I came was pulling that damned whore out of the fire when she failed to properly disguise herself. But I have harmed no innocents.”

“As if that matters!” Yumi shot back, she struggled against his grip to no avail but refused to give up. She would never just sit around again. “You assist evil! That is itself evil!”

“Probably.” Gowon agreed. “But all man does is tainted by his imperfection and thus is evil. Even the most noble acts.”

“ _ Bullshit _ .” Yumi said. “Do you seriously believe the Horsemen see a difference between your god and what they want to destroy.”

“No. But they have no mechanism to destroy Him. Nothing can. But what they do want to destroy is something that is an affront to Him. You may disagree with it. I understand.” Gowon bowed his head. “But I know my cause is righteous, and if I am in God’s grace let me remain so.”

“Is your god’s grace really that cheap?” Yumi spat back. “You didn’t find religion in that church! You found an excuse!”

Gowon reeled back as if struck for a moment, staring down speechless at Yumi. Then a low growl filled his throat. “Listen here-”

His response was interrupted by gunfire, muffled by a series of doors and hallways. Still maintaining his pin against Yumi, he glanced up towards the door.

“ _ This is Red Unit. _ ” Gowon’s commbead chimed. “ _ Whisky-November-Six, Sierra-Golf-Six has breached Objective Charlie perimeter. Liquidate resistor and reassume defense of Objective Charlie. Confirm. _ ”

Gowon glanced down at the otaku, then up at the door, then down at the girl again. The gunfire rapidly drew closer, accompanied by the thumps of explosives. Yumi glared up at him. Finally, the African man reached up to key his commbead. “This is Whiskey-November-Six confirming Red Unit’s orders. Out.”

“You chose to involve yourself in this.” Gowon said, as he reached down with his free hand to snatch up his machine gun and placed the barrel against Yumi’s forehead. “You are no longer innocent.”

Yumi’s face fell as the fear she felt finally overwhelmed her bravado. She was going to die. She squeezed her eyes shut. For some reason, she thought of Shiori. A tear rolled down her eye. “J-just another victim of the Monster, huh?”

Gowon froze at that, his eyes widening. In the distance the gunfire and explosions drew even closer.

“ _ Whiskey-November-Six, liquidate hostile and reassume defense of Objective Charlie. _ ” Gowon’s commbead crackled. Several more seconds past. “ _ Whiskey-November-Six, Red Unit says again: liquidate resistor and reassume defense of Objective Charlie. Obey orders or disciplinary action will be taken. _ ”

Confused as to why she wasn’t dead yet, Yumi opened her eyes and glanced up again at Gowon’s vacant stare. The gunfire was very close now, no longer muffled very much.

“ _ Team-Thirty-Six, liquidate resistor and- _ ”

The server room’s door blew in, a pink figure darting out of the smoke only to be fired upon by a host of conventional guns, coilguns, and grasers. Shirabe pirouetted and spun as she rolled around the edge of the room towards the Automen, her Symphogear skirt straightening and hardening into a  ** _Charming Axel Killer_ ** as sharp as any of her sawblades. Simultaneously, she lashed out with her yo-yos to cut through the Staples.

The Symphogear’s dynamic entry snapped Gowon out of his funk and caused him to instinctively roll away just in time for the magical-razor-wire to zip through where he had been. He rolled up to his feet, levelling his machine gun up and channeling phonic gain into it… just in time to see the spinning Shirabe slice through the terminal the Staples had set up just before the upload would have completed.

Gowon scowled and let loose a long burst of machine gun fire into the Symphogear. Bullets enhanced by phonic gain crashed into Shirabe harder than any coilgun round. She shouted in pain and surprise as the burst knocked her back and into a nearby server, kicking up a shower of sparks and smoke.

Gowon charged forward, his machine gun raised… and then jerked back as a saw blade projected from one of Shirabe’s heely skates slashed out.

“ _ Whiskey-November-Six, this is Red Unit. Objective Failed. Withdraw. Be advised, disciplinary measures will be taken post-mission. Confirm. _ ”   


Shaking his head angrily, Gowon tore a smoke grenade from his belt as Shirabe leapt back to her feet and charged him, her yo-yos at the ready in her hands. Popping the ring, thick white smoke swiftly filled the room but Shirabe kept charging forward, firing a  ** _100 Saṃsāra_ ** … only to screech to a halt as she almost ran into the sawblades embedded in the wall on the other end of the room.

Spinning around, Shirabe stood and tensed as she waited for the smoke to clear. When it did, Gowon was nowhere to be seen. Shirabe shook her head incredulously. How did they manage to escape so fast and quietly?

Then her back stiffened at a familiar voice. “Tsuki?”

Shirabe turned, taking in the familiar figure who had been laying on the floor. “Yumi-senpai?!”

Yumi clambered to her feet from where she had remained lying down throughout the assault. It had felt like a better idea then trying to get into a fight between superpowered humans. She offered the adaptor an awkward smile. “Surprise?”

\----

**Next Chapter: ** Decipher the Shape

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Easily the funniest thing is that after the last chapter, there were still people expecting Yumi to go over to the Horsemen’s side. I really hope this lays to rest any ideas about that.
> 
> Do note: I am well aware that Yumi, as a short and slim Japanese teenage girl would find it quite physically difficult to do things like haul around an assault rifle and its assorted ammo, as well as something like a ballistics shield, even if she had spent a month getting into pretty damn good physical shape. But Symphogear operates on a degree of action movie logic that I am invoking in this case.


	28. Decipher the Shape

**Distortions  
** **Chapter 28:  
** **Decipher The Shape**

\----

“Here, this should warm you up.” Fujitaka said gently as he set down a tray with steaming hot cups of tea in front of the two girls seated behind the table.

“Thank you.” Shiori smiled politely, gently rubbing Yumi’s back next to her as she did so. The brunette was crumpled against the blonde, lightly napping.

“It looks like you need it.” Fujitaka nodded as he took a seat across from her. “Usually Tomosato does stuff like this.”

“Do you need me to wake her up?” Shiori asked, indicating the sleeping girl. But Fujitaka shook his head.

“We’re still waiting on Kirika-san and the GSDF Captain’s adjutant before we start the debrief.”

In truth, it was as much an interrogation as it was a debrief, but Fujitaka didn’t feel the need to point that out. Given the unanimity of accounts on how Yumi had behaved from eyewitnesses, Shiori, and Shirabe as well as more general forensic evidence, he saw no reason to treat her as hostile and was sure Ogawa would back him up on that. Even if the sudden combat abilities and insights into Horsemen operations was downright suspicious.

Fujitaka eyed the two girls as he raised his own cup of tea to his face. Of all the people to get dragged into a fight with the Horsemen, he had never figured it would be any of the adaptors’ regular friends. And for them to participate in its resolution so directly… When was the last time that happened? That time with Garie, wasn’t it?

But even then, they hadn’t _fought _like that.

Sitting across from them now, however, they looked nothing more like a tired-out schoolgirl and her prim, proper friend fussing over her. A far cry from the methodical killer and determined hostage leader the other eyewitnesses had described.

Fujitaka paused in his observation as he noticed that Shirabe on his right was levelling one of her famous stares at him, likely over the fact that he himself was studying two of her friends. He sent her a reassuring, if slightly nervous smile. The smallest adaptor maintained the stare for a moment before nodding and began to blow on her own tea to cool it off.

He had just arrived on the scene with one of SONG’s mobile command trailers when Shirabe had emerged from the university’s server building, carrying the crying Yumi. The brunette was in the midst of a nervous breakdown, something she had been desperately repressing throughout the incident according to Shiori. As soon as everything was over, the blonde had dashed out of the building, immediately fussing over the sobbing girl.

The GSDF Captain had swiftly agreed to turn her over to SONG’s custody the moment Shirabe suggested it. Fujitaka wasn’t sure how much of that was him wanting to wash his hands of the responsibility of dealing with everything about Yumi and how much was genuine gratitude for the adaptors after witnessing their performance. But he was hardly about to complain. Kirika had been seconded to mop up the remaining Horsemen holdouts, a task he swore she had taken too enthusiastically if he didn’t know her better than that.

Over by the command door, Tsubasa stood guard, slightly leaning against the wall but alert as ever. She abruptly stiffened as her sharp senses picked up two pairs of feet approaching from outside, but she relaxed as she recognized one of them as Kirika’s easy gait. The other must have been the captain’s adjutant. She stood up to open the door, signalling to Fujitaka their approach.

“Shirabe!” Kirika called as she burst in ahead of the captain, quickly running over to almost tackle her girlfriend in a flying hug. “I heard you had to fight one of the White Noise! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Kiri-chan.” Shirabe smiled, even though she only was barely able to maintain her seat through long practice. “He ran pretty quickly. But what about you? You had to deal with all those Staples!”

“Ah, those guys are easy!” Kirika released her girlfriend and plopped into a chair next to her. “I was able to protect everyone.”

“She was.” Captain Shigeo said as he stepped through the door. “It was incredible. She always managed to go for one of the Horsemen’s soldiers drawing a bead on one of my men or the police’s Special Assault Teams.”

“Captain,” Fujitaka greeted. “I thought your adjutant would be sitting in?”

“I felt it would be best if I was present personally.” He answered.

Ah, so he didn’t want the responsibility for dealing with Yumi, but he also didn’t want to be locked out of the loop. Well, Fujitaka could still deal with that. “I see.”

“Shiori?” Yumi sat up, rubbing her eyes. “What’s with all the noise?” She blinked as she glanced around the room. “Ah, Kiri-san, ‘Nari-senpai… hey.”

“Yo, Yumi-senpai, Shiori-senpai!” Kirika waved.

Tsubasa simply nodded as she closed the door with a more sedate, “Itaba.”

“Itaba-san.” Fujitaka greeted as the brunette looked at him. “I am Sakuya Fujitaka. I’m an executive officer at SONG.”

“He brought us the drinks.” Shiori said, indicating the cups.

“Oh.” Yumi blinked down at the cup and grabbed it up. “So you work with Bikky and Hina and everyone else?”

“Yes.” Fujitaka confirmed. “In fact, we briefly met. Back during the Lunar Attack Incident?”

Yumi paused with her cup brought to her lips. Then she took a sip and nodded. “Right, yeah. I remember. You were the one who brought the cameras back up.” She glanced at Shigeo. “Who is the GSDF special forces captain?”

“Takamura Shigeo.” The Captain introduced himself. “I’m surprised you recognized the uniform. And that you know the adaptors.”

“Itaba-san and Terashima-san are friends and classmates of Adaptors Tachibana and Kohinata.” Fujitaka informed the captain. “But that information is not to leave this room.”

“Privacy concerns, of course.” The GSDF Captain nodded. “But are you a military otaku?”

“Anime and manga, really.” Yumi corrected, her gaze dropped into her drink as her brow furrowed. “But I’ve suddenly been noticing a lot of military stuff recently. I guess… that was really obvious today.”

“Yes. That’s what we want to talk to you about, Itaba-san.” Fujitaka reassured her. He pulled out a datapad, taking it offline and setting it to record. “But first, what about yourself? Are you feeling alright.”

Yumi’s eyes fell at that. “I’m feeling... better.”

“If you are concerned about it, Itaba,” Tsubasa cut-in. “You should be aware that the Horsemen’s soldiers-”

“-are little more than meat robots.” Yumi interrupted. “Human, yes, but not actually people. That wasn’t what bothered me. It was more…”

She paused for a moment, her voice trembling slightly as she resumed.”I could have died. Just one mistake. One mistake was all it would take. And there were still gambles I made that could have gotten us all killed if I was wrong.” She looked down at her hands. “And then _how _did I know what to do so perfectly and suddenly? Having all this stuff you never knew that you knew...” She sighed. “It’s always so cool when it happens in anime but… now I’m just scared.”

“I see.” Fujitaka tried to sound sympathetic. “Terashima-san already told us everything she knows. But what about yourself?”

“Of course.” Yumi said, straightening. As if some sort of switch had been thrown, any sense of doubt and concern vanished. Everyone blinked at her sudden seriousness. “We came in today to register for the college. They require paper applications, you see...”

Yumi left no detail out of her explanation: the sudden assault while getting drinks, hiding and deciding to intervene, her use of the college’s ventilation system to sneak around, stalking and ambushing the Horsemen’s patrol, and freeing the hostages.

“Positioning the grenades and getting the string just right took some work, especially doing it quietly.” Yumi explained. “Then I had to work my way back around onto that team’s flank. After I yanked the string, I moved aggressively to liquidate the first rear team so I could obtain their ballistics shield as cover against the last team.”

“That matches with Terashima-san’s and the other hostages accounts of what happened.” Fujitaka noted. 

Yumi nodded, and continued. “After it became clear ‘Nari-senpai’s arrival was imminent, I decided to try and make my way over to the server room.”

Shiori scowled, leaning forward. “Why did you do that?!” She demanded. “You almost got killed! Do you know how worried I was when I turned around and didn’t- ”

Yumi threw up her hands in front of her to ward off the angry blonde. “I had to distract the defense force. Otherwise, they might have tied up Shirabe-san enough for the Horsemen to complete the information upload.” She frowned. “I didn’t account for the presence of any White Noise Squad members. Mwikiza Gowon… undoubtedly he heard me through the enhanced senses the Apegear granted him. Still, I did manage to distract him for long enough.”

Tsubasa’s eyes narrowed. “Wait, you know him?”

“We met briefly. I didn’t know he was with the Horsemen then.” Yumi quickly stated. “I ran into him while inspecting the library on a tour. We talked a little.”

“Obviously casing the place before the raid.” Shirabe mused as she put her drink on the table.

“There was another man there too.” Yumi continued. “He had a briefcase and Gowon said he was there to meet him.”

“Did this man wear sunglasses and have a handlebar mustache?” Captain Shigeo asked.

“Yes.”

The GSDF captain frowned as he crossed his arms. “We found him hiding in the server’s broom closet. He claimed to be hiding in there from the Horsemen, but we’ve placed him in detainment until we can verify the story. He was on the research team and was the sole survivor.”

Kirika abruptly sat up, her eyes widening in horror. “Wait… the sole survivor of the research team? You mean…”

“Yes, they were all executed when the Horsemen first stormed the campus.” Shigeo shook his head sadly. “Aside from the security and a few officers on location, they were the only casualties. But your testimony-”

“-Means he was likely an inside agent.” Fujitaka finished. “I’d like to sit in on your interrogation of him later, if that is alright.” Then he turned back to Yumi. “Itaba-san. Your account has been thorough, professional, and extremely insightful. However, and I apologize in advance because this will sound accusative, the fact that you suddenly have intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the Horsemen’s combat arm and displayed combat skills is _extremely _suspicious.”

“I know.” Yumi groaned, her professional demeanor evaporating. She leaned forward on the table to press a fist into her forehead. “I’ve been trying to figure it out.”

“You had been acting pretty weird over the past month.” Kirika pointed out. “Like during Maria’s birthday party, you kept making those army-combat-whatever comments about Tsubasa-senpai’s house.”

“Working out, watching and reading more military-oriented anime and manga, playing more first person shooters…” Shiori paused. “Yumi… Hina asked me to keep an eye on you when you let slip some classified information about the Horsemen to Bikky and her.”

“What?” Yumi turned her head at that. “You… you were spying on me?”

Shiori scowled. “We were worried about you! And it turns out we were right to worry!” Her face crumpled. “If Tsuki hadn’t arrived when she did… you would have...”

“Shiori.” Yumi said. She threw a hug around the blonde. “I’m sorry… for worrying you.”

Silence fell. Fujitaka let the moment last for a few more seconds before coughing into his hand. “Apologies for the interruption, but it would probably be our best interests that we try to figure out everything first. Let’s work back. When did this strange behavior begin?”

“Erm... “ Yumi scratched her head thinking back. “I think it was the week after the semester ended, ya know with the tests and everything? That’s when I first started taking up jogging, at least.”

“Well, you seemed normal enough at that party we threw for Kuriyo-senpai.” Kirika noted. “So the change would have taken place over the weekend?”

“So what did you do during that weekend?” Shirabe asked.

“Not much.” Yumi said, sitting back, she nodded her head down and folded her arms. “Saw Kuriyo off on Saturday morning. Talked with Shiori. Watched anime and read manga. Modded and started playing my NERVgear-” Yumi stopped talking, her eyes shooting open and her head coming up. By the door, Tsubasa likewise stiffened, her head coming around.

As if perfectly in synch, Yumi, Shirabe, and Kirika all shot to their feet with a combined shout: “_The NERVgear!_”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with that.” Shigeo cut in, his brow furrowing. “But it does ring a bell. Something I saw in an advertisement, I think?”

“It’s a new virtual reality headset.” Kirika said as she sat back down. “Shirabe and I talked about getting one, but decided to wait for the price to fall.”

“It uses innovative new technology.” Shirabe elaborated. “Elfnein-san said that the Horsemen’s Black Unit likely was engaged in selling civilian products to fund its operation.”

“And the description of the NERVgear fits perfectly.” Fujitaka concluded. “So you are saying that this might be the source of your knowledge?”

“It’s the only thing that fits.” Yumi said, pressing a hand to her forehead as she sank into her seat. “The set is supposed to act as a teaching device as well as a virtual reality console through mind-machine interfacing. It… it helped me finish my summer homework. But how… how did it teach me how to do all that?”

“Perhaps that is something that we can glean from the machine itself. I will send some agents to confiscate it from your dorm as soon as I can.” Fujitaka said. Then his voice grew grave. “But Itaba-san… you said this set is a mind-machine interface device, correct?”

Yumi blinked. “Yes.”

“Then by your own admission, you have come in contact with some form of what is likely Horsemen high technology that influences the mind in some manner. We have no way of telling at the moment precisely the full extent to which this system has affected you.” Fujitaka paused to let that sink in for a moment. “As such, we will have to detain you while we sort these matters out. I’m sorry.”

“What?!” Shiori’s voice was utterly incredulous as she shot to her feet, slamming her hands on the table. Shirabe and Kirika also turned to stare at Fujitaka in shock. Tsubasa merely shot Yumi an apologetic look.

However, Yumi replied. “I understand and will cooperate.”

Shiori turned, her mouth falling open. “Yumi?”

“Shiori… they’re right.” Yumi looked up at the blonde sorrowfully. “I laughed it all off before, but we can’t ignore it now. We have no way of knowing what it’s done to me. It might control me like that direct system thing did to Hina or those implants did to Mariko’s clones.”

Fujitaka blinked at that second example. “I’m sorry?”

“It’s a reference.” Shirabe quickly clarified.

“I won’t let myself become a threat to any of my friends.” Yumi said firmly. “If this would prevent that, then what choice do I have?”

Shiori stared wide-eyed at the brunette for a long moment. Her eyes flickered to Fujitaka and then back to Yumi. She fidgeted and opened her mouth, but no words came out before she clicked it back close. Then finally she sighed and turned to Fujitaka. “Can I stay with her?”

The man raised an eyebrow at the request. “I… I can permit you to accompany her so long as a third party is with you. But when she goes to bed, you’ll have to sleep in another room.”

Shiori closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, she wasn’t looking at anything in particular. “I understand.”

Yumi looked at her friend and frowned. Then she turned back to Fujitaka. “Can I have a moment with Shiori?”

Fujitaka raised an eyebrow.

“I just need to speak with her. We can move to the uh...” The Brunette glanced around the trailer. “To the corner over there, opposite the door. We’ll be within view.”

“Of course. That’s acceptable.” Fujitaka said.

Yumi smiled gratefully, then turned to Shiori and placed a hand on her shoulder, whispering something to her. The two got up and crossed over to the spot Yumi had indicated. Fujitaka glanced over at Tsubasa who nodded back. The swordswoman would keep an eye on them.

“The report for this one will be something to write.” Shigeo sighed as he stood up.

Fujitaka nodded in sympathy. He himself could only imagine how this news was going to go over when it reached the others in China. “I need to finish debriefing the adaptors. Could you let me know when the interrogation for our suspected fifth columnist will take place?”

“I’ll send someone to get you.” Shigeo nodded. Then he glanced over at Kirika and Shirabe. “Adaptors Akatsuki, Tsukuyomi, it’s been an honor.”

“Always happy to help!” Kirika grinned, saluting lazily as she threw an arm around her girlfriend. Shirabe limited herself to an acknowledging nod even as she blushed slightly.

Shigeo stared at Kirika for a moment, reconciling the cheerful blonde with the fearsome slayer of ruthless terrorists he had seen earlier today and then shook his head as he headed out. He stopped as he reached the door, glancing at Tsubasa. The swordswoman kept an eye on Yumi and Shiori, the former clearly trying to reassure the latter, but tilted her head to acknowledge him.

The Captain primly saluted her. Tsubasa paused, then returned the gesture. With that final deed done, Shigeo stepped out.

“Fujitaka-san…” Shirabe spoke up, “Are you sure we should detain Yumi-senpai? She’s our friend and she aided us today. That… that isn’t just.”

“No, it isn’t.” Fujitaka acknowledged. “But it’s prudent. At least until we analyze a NERVgear and determine it hasn’t brainwashed her in any way.” He looked at the youngest adaptor. “But that last bit she mentioned, about distracting Gowon… do you think it made a difference?”

Shirabe paused, recalling the scene she had stormed into. “Given his position and the Apegear… Yes. It would have taken me a few more seconds, minimum, to destroy the console they had set-up and they were only a moment away from stealing the data when I did.”

“Well, with Itaba-san’s help, at least we were able to rescue the hostages and prevent the research data from being uploaded. We might also be able to declare the manufacturers of the NERVgear a Black Unit front and raid their facilities, depending on what Elfnein’s investigation finds out about it.” Fujitaka observed as he turned off the recorder on the datapad. “We also now know the Horsemen have enough of an interest in the research data to attempt to steal with overt force.”

“What were they researching anyways?” Kirika asked.

“I don’t have all the details. Something about the ley lines.”

\----

“Unacceptable!” Jin growled, downing the rest of his drink before levelling a glare at Tomosato. “I have already stated why transport by aircraft is preferred by the PLA’s Strategic Support Forces and my department.”

“Jin-san, please.” Tomosato said, trying to refrain from rubbing her forehead. “The security problems associated with air transport given the capabilities displayed by the Horsemen are self-evident. We have preferred train transportation of relics because-.”

“I am well aware of SONG’s preferences.” Jin snapped. “But I will not budge on this: the SSF will provide security until the fragment is transferred to SONG custody and not a moment beforehand. And so long as the relic is in Chinese custody, I will not permit any Japanese adaptor near it!”

Even with the arrival of SONG Headquarters in Shanghai with most of the staff, Tomosato remained SONG’s designated negotiator for the transfer of the Shield of Xingtian. She had repeatedly been meeting with Huang Jin, Zhong Guanting, and their staff over the previous days as part of the endless tedium of negotiating the release of Shield’s fragment into SONGs custody. The luxury hotel’s conference room, like the hotel itself, had been specially prepared, secured, and endlessly swept by at least a dozen different public and private security agencies, including the Chinese MSS, the PLA Ground Forces Intelligence Division, and SONG security itself.

It had become extremely apparent to Tomosato through both his attitude and the oblique hints from Guanting that Jin wasn’t just part of the Anti-SONG faction in the government, he was _its leader_. Every little thing he dragged out and every last detail he would argue into the floor before he conceded the slightest bit of ground.

And Guanting had indicated that the Chinese President, for some unfathomable reason that Tomosato supposed had to do with internal Chinese politics, had given both Jin and Guanting veto power on the Chinese position. Although Maria had come in on the second day, she had to remove herself from the room before she had snapped at him. Even Tomosato’s professional patience was beginning to strain.

Case in point, the current issue: transport of the relic to Shanghai. SONG procedure would be that long-range overland transport be done by train, which they could effectively station any mix of the adaptors along with heavy conventional weaponry. Jin, instead, argued that it be done by air transport.

Given that the Horsemen had an air force, only one of the adaptors could provide an effective air escort, and that a standard escort fighter force wasn’t liable to be enough against the scale of a Horsemen assault, this was clearly madness. But then Jin threw another wrench in negotiations when he said he didn’t want any Japanese adaptor defending the relic at all prior to the transfer! That ruled out everyone except Maria, who couldn’t fight air-to-air at all.

A man came by from the catering table and poured them another glass of Baijiu, but Tomosato ignored the grain alcohol. She had downed a shot out of politeness and so the Chinese negotiators would take her seriously, but she wanted to keep a clear head in this.

“Jin-san, you are being completely unreasonable.” Guanting observed. “Okay, for appearances’ sake, you don’t want anyone other than Adaptor Maria to escort the fragment prior to hand-off. But why can’t we just use an SSF train for transport?”

“If the transfer is to be agreed upon, I want it done as soon as possible.” Jin answered. “Flying in the Shield would be much faster than waiting on a train.”

“_Sounds like you just want an excuse to drag this out._” Tomosato refrained from saying. Rudeness would not help her case in the slightest. Then a brilliant idea occurred to her. It’s not like this issue was that important. And hey, if the relic got blown away while in Chinese custody, it’s not like SONG could catch any blame for that. It also would resolve the problem with bringing about another budding maybe-demigoddess. “Very well. And if we were to bring it in by air, where would it arrive?”

“Eh?” Jin blinked, coming up short at her sudden agreement.

“Surely you have an airport in mind for it to arrive at?” Tomosato inquired. “Or perhaps a PLAAF air base?”

Jin stared at her for a moment in astonishment. Tomosato simply smiled back slightly, but it's politeness had a jagged edge to it. After days of obstructivism, it was genuinely satisfying to see him come up short. After all, he could hardly reverse course after arguing so passionately for air transport.

“Of… of course. But I don’t have it immediately on hand. Please, give me a moment.” Jin finally said, before turning to one of his adjutants. “Zhan Jianjun?”

As the man approached and the two conferred, Tomosato glanced at Guanting who shot her a mischievous smile before giving her a nod. Tomosato simply shrugged in reply.

“The Shanghai Dachang PLAAF Airbase would be where we bring the fragment in.” Jin finally said, turning back from his adjutant. “Would Adaptor Maria be able to provide escort?”

“I feel as if we’ll have to inquire with her.” Tomosato said after a moment’s thought, that polite-smile-with-shark-undertones returning to her face. “After all, you’ve made your objections to all the other SONG adaptors, who are close friends and colleagues of hers, escorting the relic prior to hand-off quite clear.”

And Tomosato could imagine Maria’s answer would be no, not for Jin. This would remove even the slightest potential of SONG catching any blame if the flight got shot down. And most of all, it would also avoid having them put Maria at risk if the Horsemen rolled in with enough force to actually overwhelm an adaptor.

Jin was sweating now, clearly aware of the catastrophic negotiating error he had made. Predictably, he made an attempt to salvage whatever he could of his mess. “I should clarify that we have no objection to any of the adaptors providing security at the hand-off site. In fact, we would prefer they be there for the hand off.”

“Ah, we see.” Tomosato nodded, deciding to let him have that. “I’ll inquire with my command about who we might send and then inform you at the next session.”

“Speaking of which…” Jin immediately seized on that. “I would like to motion that we adjourn for the day.” He looked to Guanting, but Guanting again glanced at Tomosato.

She simply shrugged. “That does seem prudent, yes.”

Undoubtedly Jin was aiming to rethink his negotiating approach after such a setback, but at least that gave Tomosato, and possibly Guanting, time to do so as well. Jin wasted no time getting to his feet and leaving, his jaw clenched and his lips tight. Guanting, for his part, walked over to Tomosato.

“Good job. Always refreshing to see him get taken down a peg or two.” The Chinese UN rep said, a slight smile of satisfaction on his face. But his voice was low.

Tomosato nodded, her own smile genuinely polite. But there was one question that had been burning at her for the past few days. “How does he know so much about the relic anyways? Enough even to be involved in these negotiations?”

Guanting glanced over his shoulder at his staff before answering. “One of the sub-departments in his ministry is dedicated to researching it and is partly responsible for its transport. You know the saying, with great power comes responsibility? Well, the inverse can apply as well.”

“I see.” Tomosato said, frowning a little as she packed her notes into her bag. “Well, I had better report to my superiors. Good day, Guanting-san.”

“Of course,” Guanting nodded. “Good day, Tomosato-san.”

Tomosato stepped out of the conference room and quickly crossed the lobby back to the front door. The valets, spotting her approach by her SONG uniform had already called a car for her by the time she reached them and soon she was whisked off to where SONG headquarters was docked at the Shanghai naval base.

As a long-time senior member of SONG, the agents posted at the bottom of the footbridge only perfunctorily asked for her ID out of protocol. They gave it the usual glance before waving her aboard. Tomosato navigated the corridors of the submarine with a long familiarity, quickly reaching the bridge.

“Commander Ogawa.” She said as she stepped in, rooting around in her pack. “I have the latest updates for today’s…” She looked up and blinked. “Negotiations… is everything alright?”

The commander, his brother the intelligence director, Elfnein, and all four adaptors currently deployed to China stared back at her. Hibiki was the first to answer. “Tomosato-san! You won’t believe the news that just came in from back home!”

\----

“It’s **_not _**a brainwashing device.”

At Akira’s confident pronouncement, a collective sigh of relief was released. Obtaining a NERVset for study had been a remarkably easy procedure when the news reached SONG Headquarters: Souji had simply gone out and bought one from a game shop. Duly equipped, Elfnein and Akira had spent the entire morning examining the machine.

The briefing had been called both to inform the in-country adaptors of what had happened back home and so the two could deliver their findings to the rest. As it turned out, Tomosato had walked in during the interregnum between these two sections. Bringing her up to speed had been quick enough.

“How can you be sure?” Maria asked after everyone had taken a moment to process the news. “It sounds an awful lot like the Direct Feedback System.”

“We examined it thoroughly.” Elfnein said from her seat, glancing between the data on her screen and the image of the partially-disassembled headset up on the main screen. “And you are correct on one count: we found a number of similar parts to that of the DFS, but there were major differences as well. Most importantly-”

“Lemme guess,” Chris interrupted. ”None of the heretical technology incorporated in the DFS was in the headset, right?”

“Correct.” Elfnein nodded. “It is a purely a high-technological device, just like every other technology we’ve recovered from the Horsemen. You could regard it as a high-technological cousin to the DFS, just as Faust Robes are a Alchemical cousin to the Symphogear system. But its sole purpose is to teach, not to persuade.”

“What’s still a bit of a mystery to us,“ Akira spoke up, shifting a little in thought behind his own station. “Is how Itaba-san activated the Horsemen training programs. When we looked at the software code, much of those features had been torn out. There’s whole sections of code that would have to be deliberately added back in to reactivate that part of the system.”

“We can figure out more on that once we make a direct comparison.” Elfnein noted. “But we believe that this is essentially a civilian version of what the Horsemen use to train the Staples. Tsubasa discovered one of their cloning facilities in Panau...”

The image on the screen changed to show some pictures SONG took of the clone banks. Staring at it, Hibiki felt her skin crawl. Staples or not, seeing human beings laid out on conveyor belts as if they were manufactured products just felt wrong on a basic level. Fortunately, Elfnein quickly zoomed in on the robotic arms at the end of each belt.

“We couldn’t identify them at the time, due to self-destruct mechanisms that mostly rendered them fused glass.” Elfnein continued. “But these machines were undoubtedly the Horsemen’s internal versions of the NERVgear.”

Miku frowned, crossing her arms. “If it didn’t brainwash Yumi, then how did it encourage her to take up exercise?”

“Likely internalization.” Elfnein answered. “A Staple who has just rolled out of the cloning bank is effectively braindead until that information gets uploaded. But the same doesn’t apply… to… Yumi-san...” Elfnein trailed off, her face going slightly blank as her gaze drifted up to the screen with the NERVgear.

“Elfnein-san?” Commander Ogawa asked in concern.

“Ah!” She jerked, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, just a… stray thought!”

At her hasty excuse, both Chris and Maria narrowed their eyes at the blonde.

“As I was saying,” Elfnein continued. “Yumi is a person with all these pre-existing ideas, experiences, and opinions. What she learned through the NERVgear about not just how to workout, but also the benefits of working out was likely internalized by her subconscious and pushed her to take up more of those activities.”

Hibiki chuckled a little. “The girls at Lydian are going to be surprised when Yumi’s performance in PE goes through the roof.”

“This is a huge breakthrough.” Director Ogawa mused. “If she’s basically downloaded the Horsemen’s doctrine into her mind, then she’s a gold mine of information. We’ll be able to tailor security and search for their bases much more efficiently.” He looked over at Shinji. “I’d like to debrief her when we return home.”

Chris shot a glare at the director. “Oi! She ain’t some _thing _for you to use. She’s a friend!”

Souji gave an even nod back. “Please, do not misunderstand me, Yukine-san. I merely wish to know what she’s learned.” He looked at the screen thoughtfully, examining the NERVgear. “And she may be able to assist us in other ways.”

“Nii-san?” Shinji inquired.

“Just some possibilities.” Souji reassured his younger brother. “I’ll discuss them with you later. In the interim, there is no real reason to continue detaining her.”

Commander Ogawa studied his brother for a little bit before nodding. “Yes. I’ll inform Fujitaka to let her return home later today. In the meantime, we should discuss our next move.”

“Right!” Chris smacked her hands together. “Like it can’t be a coincidence they attacked back home right after we all head over here.”

“Correct.” Commander Ogawa observed. “Which is why I’m making arrangements for Kirika and Shirabe-san to fly out.”

“What?” Miku turned in confusion. “You’re just leaving home to Tsubasa? Why?”

“Three reasons. First, given the lead time between their major assaults, it will likely be some time before they marshall the resources to launch another operation back home. That’s an advantage Alca-Noise had over Staples and Automen, less lead time to get them in place. That gives us a window of opportunity.” Shinji pointed out. “Second, they only deployed one White Noise member, Mwikiza Gowon, despite the fact they could reasonably expect up to three Symphogear adaptors to deploy against them. The only reason for them to do that is if Gowon is the only White Noise member still left in Japan.”

“Samantha-san…” Hibiki realized with start, shuffling slightly uncomfortably. “She’s here.”

“And so’s _Voronin_.” Chris growled, her hand clenching.

“Right.” Shinji said. “Tsubasa-san still has some upcoming commitments back home, which leaves her perfect to hold the fort. By bringing Kirika and Shirabe-san, we can maximize our available assets here.”

“And that brings me to the last reason,” Commander Ogawa continued. “We can’t keep _reacting _to every move they make. We need to seize the initiative ourselves, make _them _react to us like we did in Panau.” He glanced over at his brother. “To that end, it’ll be most useful if we had somewhere to strike.”

Souji simply nodded back. “I’ve already made arrangements to meet with an old… associate tomorrow. He’s retired from field work, but he’s made a career as an information broker in the meantime.”

“Would he really know about any Horsemen activity?” Maria asked.

“No. But he’s liable to know about anomalous activity that would indicate Horsemen presence.” Souji clarified. “That would give us a basis to carry out more… direct investigations.”

“I see. In that case,” Maria straightened herself up from against the wall she was leaning on. “Would you mind if I accompany you?”

“I’ve read your record.” Souji said. “I have no problems with you accompanying me, Maria-san. Although he is liable to notice you.”

Maria smirked. “Well, I look forward to seeing if that’s true.”

“Good.” Commander Ogawa nodded. “Once we have a likely location, we can send in teams and the adaptors to take a closer look.” He turned to Tomosato. “In the meantime, Tomosato-san, how are things going in negotiations with the Chinese?”

—

“Some components here are similar to a MRI.” Akira said as he peered down into the parts under his analysis machine. The screens in front of him displayed the rest of not just the remote scans of the NERV, but also the reconstruction of the associated software. “Obviously it at least scans the brain as part of the process.”

“Mmm…” Elfnein nodded, staring at a parallel set of data scans in front of her.

They were back in the labs, examining the NERVgear. They had enough information to figure out that it wasn’t a brainwashing device, all well-and-good. But they still had some components to go before they could declare a truly thorough understanding of it’s inner-workings.

“These microchips are definitely VEP related.” Akira continued, sliding more components across the scanner. “Put together with the neurofeedback loops, it really uses every BCI technique in the book that doesn’t require an implant, but to a sophistication I’ve never seen before. It’s remarkably non-invasive, compared to the direct feedback system. Much more akin to your mind palace in that at least.”

“Mmm…”

Akira glanced over at the blonde and scratched his head for a moment. “Elfnein-san, Carol-san dropped by and told me she’s taking pole dancing lessons from Akatsuki-san.”

“Mmm…” Elfnein repeated. Then she blinked as she realized that Akira’s statement had the words ‘Carol’ in it. That brought her about. “Wait, Carol wha-” She stopped herself and then shook her head.

“Are you tired?” Akira asked with a bit of concern, standing up to walk over to the blonde's seat and lay a comforting hand atop her head. Sure, she was technically his boss, but he couldn’t help but be reminded a little of Hibiki when she was Elfnein's… well, _apparent _age from her. Plus, she didn’t seem to mind. “I know you’re still working on that LiNKER antagonist along with everything else.”

“No.” Elfnein shook her head and leaned back. “I just… I guess I do have a lot on my mind right now.” She looked up at the clock. “But it is almost time for me to switch over to working on the LiNKER antagonist.”

“You’re remarkably methodical.” Akira observed.

Elfnein shook her head. “I just don’t want to cause trouble to other people by leaving things out of place.” She smiled up at him. “So don’t worry about me, Tachibana-san. You’ve been a big help and it’s about time for you to clock out anyways.”

Akira ruffled her hair a little before withdrawing his hand. “Are you sure?”

“Yes! I’ll be fine.” Elfnein tried to inject a little more reassurance into her smile.

“Well… if you’re sure.” Akira shrugged, straightening himself up. “I’m going to go visit Hibiki at this Qiao Cai’s place.”

“Oh?” Elfnein blinked.

“Kohi-I mean, Miku-san is driving her quite hard on her summer homework, so I couldn’t really turn her down when she asked for some assistance.” Akira chuckled as he stepped towards the door, only to pause once again. “Erm… before I go, could I ask you one last thing Elfnein-san?”

“Yes?” Elfnein tilted her head at him. Akira opened his mouth…

Only for Chris to barge on in. “Yo, Shrimp! Idiot’s pa! What’s up!”

“Ah, Chris-san!” Elfnein swung around in her chair, smiling at her friend. “We were just finishing up looking at the NERVgear.”

“Oh? Any new discoveries?” Chris asked, glancing up momentarily at the screen.

Akira shook his head. “We’re just doing a more thorough examination of the components. That’s all.”

“I see.” Chris nodded. “I _was _wondering why it had you in a bit of a tizzy during the briefing.”

“It… did?” Elfnein asked.

Akira glanced hesitantly at Chris before speaking up. “If I may, Elfnein-san, that is what I wanted to ask you about before Yukine-san came in.”

“Yeah. Don’t think we didn’t notice how you spaced out when chatting about the Staples.” Chris said, walking over to the chair Akira had been sitting in and plopping down. She then spun around to face the blonde. “In fact, I had to convince Maria not to come down with me about it. Didn’t want to feel like we were ganging up on you, ya know?”

Elfnein shook her head. “Really, it’s-”

“Oh no!” Chris thrust her hand out to stop her. “Don’t you _dare _say it’s nothing. I’ve seen that from the idiot, from senpai, from the normie… actually, hell, I’ve seen that from everybody far too many times to know no good will come of it. And if you don’t want to talk about it now?” She spun back to the desk, leaning back and putting her feet up on it. “I got time, I can wait right here ‘till you are.”

Akira blanched at Chris, both for the tone and for putting her feet up on the desk. But before he could interject, Elfnein raised a hand towards him. “I… thank you, Chris-san. But…” She glanced over at her feet. “Before I continue you might want to know that putting your feet up like that is usually considered a bit rude.”

Chris tilted her head, blinking for a few moments. Then her face colored slightly. “Shit! Fuck!” She swiftly dragged her feet back down to the floor. “Damn, is that why everybody got so uncomfortable every time I did it?! Why don’t people _tell _me these things?!”

Elfnein giggled at the complete one-eighty in the Ichaival users’ previously confident demeanour. Shaking her head. “But… if you must know, I sort of realized during that briefing...” Elfnein trailed off, her happy demeanour disappearing. Her eyes drifted over to the screen. “I am basically a Staple.”

Both Akira and Chris stared at her for a long moment.

“Could you elaborate on that, Elfnein-san?” Akira finally asked.

“Yeah.” Chris added. “Last I checked, you haven’t ever tried to shoot me. Or wear a gas mask.”

“Staples are clones created through high technology to serve as tools for their creator.” Elfnein said as she stared at the screen. “I am a clone created through Alchemy to serve as a tool for my creator. Method of creation aside, we are the same. The Staples are simply… much more limited tools then I am.”

“That limitation strikes me as pretty important.” Chris said. “Last I checked, tools can’t carry on after their user’s death. They can’t develop feelings and relations with others. They can’t connect with others or help them. Those are all things you’ve done.”

“Yes,” Elfnein sighed in acknowledgement. “That is sort of what I am thinking about. But did I really do all that? Carol… Carol made me not just to help with the Chateau or execute her plan, but as a receptacle of her conscience. Even though…” The blonde shuddered as the memory of Garie’s victim shot through her, “Even though that meant denying it to herself. So is it really me who did all that? Or am I just still performing that function as the tool she created?”

Silence fell in the aftermath of that question. Akira stared at Elfnein open-mouthed, not having the first clue what to say. Not for the first time, he felt out of his depth.

Chris on the other hand, considered it for a moment. Then she shook her head, reached out, pinched the blonde’s cheek, and lightly pulled.

“Ow-ow-ow-ow!” Elfnein flailed. “Chris-san wha-?!”

“God, Shrimp,” Chris said as she released her pinch. “For such a genius you can really be like the idiot at times.” She huffed. “Alright, let’s accept your position for a moment. Not that I really do, but fuck it, I’ll humor you. Alright, you’re doing it because Carol made you to be her conscience… so what? Does that make everything you did meaningless? Did it ever feel like you were doing it because that’s what you were just supposed to do?”

Elfnein blinked. “Are you… you mean you feel the similarities are irrelevant?”

“Sure as shit looks that way to me!” Chris said, throwing her arms wide. “Far as I’m concerned, far as any of us are concerned, you aren’t something Carol created. You’re Elfnein, a brilliant alchemist who has pulled our butts out of the fire more times than I could count!” She looked over to Akira. “What do you think? Does she look like just Carol’s conscience to you?”

“I wouldn’t know, I only know Carol-san from what she tried to do to me.” Akira said, his eyes raising in thought. He missed the way that made Elfnein flinch. But his next words made up for that. “What I know of Elfnein-san is that she is most certainly the best boss I’ve ever had and one of the hardest working too. Helps inspire me to put in a little more effort too.”

“But that’s-” Elfnein paused, essentially interrupting herself. She had been about to say that Carol had been a hard worker too… but then wouldn’t that mean that was something she never gave Elfnein? That instead, it was something she developed on her own. She shook her head. “Chris-san… Tachibana-san…” Her eyes began to tear happily. “Thank you…”

“Hey, don’t go all teary eyed on me now!” Chris grinned, leaning over to pull the alchemist into a hug. “You’ll make me cry as well.”

“Mmhm.” Elfnein murmured, burying her face into Chris’s chest. It felt… surprisingly cool. In a nice, refreshing way though. The blonde took a deep breath, steadying herself before pulling herself back out of the hug, smiling widely. “I think… I think I’m okay now.”

“Ya sure?” Chris asked.

“Yes. Very sure. Thank you, thank you both.”

“Guess I’ll head out now then.” Akira nodded, opening the door. “Good day.”

“See you tomorrow!” Chris called after him. Then she turned her attention to Elfnein, steadying her in her chair. “Alright. Hey, how about the next time you start getting doubts, you mod that NERV-thing so it teaches you not to think like that?”

Elfnein chuckled, shaking her head. “It doesn’t work like that Chris-san.”

“Doesn’t it? Shoot.” Chris shrugged. “Though while we’re on the subject of stuff in your lab.” She glanced over towards one table sitting on the corner she had noticed coming in. What appeared to be some sort of mineral scanner, but next to it lay small sheets of metal and concrete. “When’d you start collecting rocks?”

Elfnein followed her gaze and then laughed. “Those aren’t rocks, Chris-san. They’re samples of Horsemen metallurgy. Armor from destroyed Automen and vehicles as well as samples of their building materials.”

“Oh?” Chris nodded. “So just the stuff we’ve been blastin’ and slicen’?”

“Yes.” Elfnein started. “The alloys in the Automen’s bodies, for example, seem to be a form of plasteel with a petroleum-derived bonding agent that-”

“Right, right!” Chris threw her hands up as she got to her feet. “I just wanted to know what they are, not get the full spiel of every molecule contained within!”

Elfnein paused, then smiled sheepishly. “Eh, sorry.”

“Like I said, Shrimp.” Chris said as she headed for the door. “You’re scary smart. And hey…” She paused at the entrance, glancing over her shoulder. “You ever have any doubts like that again, you come to one of us alright?”

“Yes. Of course.” Elfnein nodded. “Thank you!”

“Yeah, yeah…” Chris said as she turned away, idly waving over her shoulder. Stepping out the door.

Feeling quite a bit better, Elfnein turned back to her desk to save the current progress and swap around the programs to her notes on the LiNKER antagonist. She had been making good progress on that recently, with the Apegear successfully reverse-engineered and she felt that a major breakthrough was approaching. But as she pulled up the various notes and data, like the formulas for LiNKER and Anti-LiNKER, her mind continued to mull over the recent conversation with Chris.

That joking line in particular…

“_Alright. Hey, how about the next time you start getting doubts, you mod that NERV-thing so it teaches you not to think like that?_”

She shook her head again. It didn’t work like that. The NERVgear just taught information, it didn’t influence or manipulate emotions like the DFS did. It couldn’t do that… unless…

Elfnein froze, staring down at the data from the samples of the particular variant of Anti-LiNKER the Horsemen used. But she wasn’t seeing that right now, not with the realization flooding through her.

The NERVgear taught the user information. The DFS scanned and influenced the user’s minds to manipulate and control them. Her mind palace was a modified version of the DFS, using the scanning and influence mechanisms in a less intrusive, harmful way to stimulate memories. If she added the NERVgear’s own systems and parts to teach, she could essentially teach herself memories she never had. Tweak the mind palace a little more to differentiate between her own memories and those she would create through the NERVgear modification and she could assemble whole new personality matrices!

She could bring back Carol again!

Swiftly, Elfnein brought up her schedule. It was a distraction from the current task, yes, but taking a moment modifying her schedule was perfectly acceptable. She scanned the list excitedly, trying to see what she could cut or fudge. She was so excited… she didn’t know whether she’d be able to sleep tonight!

Well, then, in that case why not just cut sleep time? Yes that seemed like a great idea. She was going to do it, she would bring back Carol and then she could help them really kick the Horsemen’s-

“_Oh come on dearie, I won’t bite. I’ll just give you a little kiss, and it’ll all be over._”

Elfnein froze, her fingers hovering over the keyboard as the segment of the Record flashed through her head again. And all the experiences that accompanied it. All the horror, all the fear, all the pain…

All caused by Garie, and by extension… Carol.

Elfnein stared for a long moment at the schedule in front of her. Then she backed out without any modifications. She’d have to think about it more later.

But for now… perhaps it would be best if Carol stayed dead.

\----

“Huh…” Maria muttered, lowering her sunglasses to get a better look.

“What?” Souji asked, glancing over from the driver’s seat.

“It looks…” Maria paused, placing a finger to her chin. “... Brighter than I expected.”

She was talking about the open-air market laid out in the streets next to the parking lot they were in. From an objective viewpoint, it looked like a pleasant place. Children darted about, their guardians calling for them to remain out of trouble. Vendors hawked their wares from various street carts parked at designated locations. Crowds of shoppers meandered through, stopping when something caught their eye to chat with the cart owner.

Souji snorted. “We’re not looking for one of the Illuminati types. Contrary to popular perception, not all spy business takes place in darkened back alleyways, sewers, and the depths of subway tunnels.”

“That’s fair.” Maria said. “At least now I know why you insisted on casual clothes.”

Souji had ditched his usual red jacket for a more casual button shirt with loose jeans. One would have to look pretty closely in order to spot the pistol he had hidden in those pants. Maria herself had gone for her usual summer wear, albeit with an additional pair of sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat to help cover up her distinctive hair style.

“Do you want to come in as well or-?”

Maria shook her head. “No, I’ll hang back. We don’t want him to feel threatened.”

“A ninja clan leader and a Symphogear adaptor would probably be pretty threatening.” Souji mused as he popped open the car door. “But he’s liable to notice you anyways.”

“We’ll see about that.” Maria smirked, but she didn’t move. Instead, she waited for Souji to walk across the parking lot before she too opened her own door and followed.

As he made his way down the thoroughfares and alleyways, Souji cast a studied eye back out for Maria. And he had to admit: he was impressed at how well she blended into the crowd. Particularly with that distinctive pink hair which, while not unheard of, wasn’t really _common _in this day and age.

Of course, _he _was able to pick her out just fine but then he was one of the best in the business and knew precisely who to look for. Without that latter advantage… well, it’d take a second or two for him to catch on.

Souji ignored the vendors who tried to call out directly to him with a well-practiced eye. When he turned the last corner, he let the child scampering down the alleyway run into him. The street urchin just bounced off him at an angle, spun around 360, and yelled out a quick apology over his shoulder before darting off but Souji shrugged with an easy acceptance.

The pawn shop wasn’t particularly obvious. Just a little door, with a little sign labelled “Buyback” on its front. Any regular person wouldn’t even have given it a glance. But a very experienced spy, if they didn’t already know, would be taken aback by some of the people who seemed to be hanging around it. The CIA man down the way, pretending to stare into his map like a lost tourist, was particularly egregious. The Americans really needed to invest more into HUMINT.

A little old fashioned bell jingled as Souji opened the door and stepped into the dark air conditioned room. The small Chinese man sitting behind the security glass, gave him a momentary glance and a smile that radiated self-effacement. “Souji Ogawa. It’s been… what? Four years?”

“Five.” Souji nodded as he walked across the shop floor, studiously ignoring the various nick-nacks piled around him. Instead, he walked right up to the security glass, grabbed the stool tucked under the table to the right, and brought it in to take a seat.

“That long, huh?” Tan Guowei muttered, his smile turning into a troubled frown before he shrugged and slid the magazine aside. “I hope this isn’t a troublesome visit.”

“I let one of your apprentices take a look at me. Did I not?” Souji asked levelly.

“Yeah, sure. But we both know that could be part of the ruse.” Guowei pointed out.

“Don’t mess with me Tan.” Souji ran his hand through his hair. “I’d need more than a pistol if I was here for you. It’s about a certain group who has been troubling my brother.”

“Buncha riders, yeah.” Guowei nodded. “Very high profile sorta people, aren’t they? Not usually very subtle.”

“You would be surprised.” Souji leaned forward, maintaining his eye contact carefully.

“Mmm, I did wonder, what with one of their elites being from Jwa…” Guowei kicked back a little. His face turned up as if in thought, but Souji saw the way he maintained eye contact. “Alright, what about them?”

“Everything.” Souji said. “I need everything you could possibly know.”

“That’s asking a lot.”

Souji shrugged. “So it is.”

“Alright then,” Guowei straightened up, folding his hands in front of him. “Forty-five percent.”

That took Souji by surprise. “Feeling charitable today?”

Guowei scowled, “Look, these sorta assholes? They give me a very bad feeling. The sooner they’re gone, the better. I’m not going to stop from making a buck off of it, but I’m willing to help.”

He stood up, the sliding chair he had been sitting on rolling back as he leaned down. “Besides!” Guowei continued. “I figured you’d be here sooner or later. So I got it all nice and ready for you.”

Standing back up, the man slapped a box down. Souji heard the rustle of papers within it as it landed. “There. Every bit of oddity I could rustle up from my own old contacts that might be indicative of Horsemen activity. I’ll even throw in a freebie on where I think it’d be best to concentrate.”

“Oh?” Souji raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah.” Guowei grinned, holding a hand out over the box. “Look at the files labelled Chuanjing Sumu.”

“I’m not familiar with that one.” Souji said as he removed a wad of cash from behind his pistol, counting off notes.

“That’s because it’s a shitty little town in the Gobi pretty much nobody really cares about.” Guowei shrugged. “At least not until some of the local nomads started mentioning ‘monsters with a single glowing red-eye’.”

“Inner Mongolia?” Souji mused as he pulled out several hundred thousand worth of Yuan and placed them next to the little doorway built into the security window. He supposed it made sense, isolated and distant, yet not a place that was frequently looked into that much. Perfect for a Horsemen base.

“Yeah.” Guowei said as he opened the door, grabbed the money, and pushed the box through. “Hot and sandy, I’m sure those supergirls of yours will love it.”

Souji didn’t deign to reply to that, instead reaching down to pick up the box, but he stopped as Guowei tapped on the glass to get his attention again.

“One thing you should be aware of… you notice the man leaning against the wall?” Guwei asked. “About a block back?”

Souji had, in fact, seen him. “Yes. Most of his techniques seem MGB, so I figured he was a local Russian recruit. And a rookie one at that: his position’s a bit too far.”

Guwei snorted. “Yeah. They’re very clever about that. But actually the Russian’s man is the one on the second floor restaurant across the alleyway exchanging evil eyes with the German.” He gave a short shrug. “You’d have to look very closely to notice the bits of Triad. And beneath that, the gadgets nobody uses.”

“Horsemen agent?” Souji caught on fast.

“My best guess, yeah.” Guwei admitted. “I got one of my brats to follow him home and take a peak. He certainly has some kinda terminal set-up there that I ain’t ever seen before. And word is on the grapevine, the Horsemen are engaged with some serious tech shit.”

“Like you would not believe.” Souji muttered, but his mind was racing. The Fifth Seal man would have undoubtedly seen him come in and there were some odds he might even recognize him. Then he’d relay that to the Red Unit. They’d have to deal with him. “Do you think you can ensure he never phones in?”

“Really?” Guwei tilted his head, squinting. “You know that’ll give ‘em some sort of tip-off something happened here.”

“Better they are uncertain than they know for sure.” Souji answered evenly.

Guwei spread his hands placatingly. “Alright, yeah. Sure, I can do it. But since I don’t know for sure, it’ll cost you extra.”

Souji’s eyes narrowed, but he sighed and reached into his pocket for more cash. “I don’t know if your new mercenary attitude is better or worse than before.”

“A man’s gotta eat and MSS pensions aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.” Guwei shrugged, holding out his hands to collect the cash. He gave it one last count, then nodded up. “Pleasure doing business with you. And give my personal well-wishes to Maria Cadenzavna Eve back there. If it helps, I’m pretty sure the Horsemen’s guy didn’t spot _her_.“

\----

[15Z601 Secure Access. Please Enter Authentication: ******* ]  
[Authentication Verified]  
[BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA Clearance Verified]  
[Archival Request Granted]

[15Z601 Audio Log #67823-G-1712. Date: 08/14/2045 12:34 GMT]  
[NOTE: Log Classified BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA. Per Red Unit COMSEC Protocols, TFH-WU Callsigns Are Used For Speakers.][15Z601 Link Established. Log Begins.]

**The Lamb: **Red Unit has secured the line. What the fuck happened?  
**WN-6-A: **We were… we were interrupted, sir.  
**The Lamb: **I noticed. My question is how did you know her? And why did you not obey orders?  
**WN-6-A: **We met several days before the raid. She ran into me at the library.  
**The Lamb: **And you did not see fit to report this?  
**WN-6-A: **It did not seem important.  
**The Lamb: **[Exasperation Recorded] That girl, Yumi Itaba, is a school friend of five of the Sierra-Golf’s, most notably Sierra-3 and 7.  
**WN-6-A: **What?! She is… why were we not briefed on that?  
**The Lamb: **Same reason you didn’t report it: she was regarded as unimportant. The most significant form of assistance she ever provided SONG prior to this day was helping to flip a switch. And that was more than two years ago. Certainly, she never displayed the combat talent we saw today.  
**WN-6-A**: We only briefly chatted, sir. She helped me find some Japanese-language books and we discussed the nature of salvation. That is all.  
**The Lamb:** Hmm… Red Unit microexpression examination detects no signs of lying. And the fact you were surprised does indicate you genuinely were unaware of precisely who she was. Very well. But at the end there, why did you fail to obey orders to liquidate her?  
**WN-6-A: **She said some things to me that… it brought back bad memories, sir.  
**The Lamb: **Bad memories? What… oh… I see.  
[Significant Pause Recorded]  
**The Lamb: **That is more than understandable. Certainly we can’t help such a mitigating circumstance. Still, the fact this affected you _is _a sign of a lapse in discipline. I’ll inform Whisky-November-1 to reduce your punishment accordingly. And include some remedial training.  
**WN-6-A:** Sir. [Pause Recorded] Erm…  
**The Lamb: **Yes? Is something the matter?  
**WN-6-A: **It’s… a bit of a personal question, sir.  
**The Lamb:** Hm. Go ahead. If it’s too personal, I’ll just say as much.  
**WN-6-A: **Do you believe in grace, sir?  
**The Lamb: **I… I do not reject the idea. But nor do I accept it. Religion… isn’t something I have considered very much. Is this a theological question? I’m afraid I can’t help you there.  
**WN-6-A:** I see. Perhaps I’ll do some more reading on the subject then.  
**The Lamb: **Red Unit can offer some suggestions on that, if you are interested. Regardless, that is all. Dismissed.  
[WN-6-A Link Terminated]  
**The Lamb: **Well? Do _you _have any ideas how this happened?  
**P-108: **I investigated, good hypothesis.  
**The Lamb: **Really? How?  
**P-108:** Examined commercialisation of 09T233. Black Unit front cut corners on hardware removal to save costs. Only software significantly altered. My hypothesis: Ms. Itaba reactivated the disabled programs.  
**The Lamb: **Seriously? _Seriously?  
_**P-108: **Explains not only acquisition of combat skill set but also inside knowledge on White Unit doctrine.  
**The Lamb: **Fuck! That was in the top five of our most profitable enterprises! And the data Laodicea has with other businesses… dammit! We’ll have to start liquidation immediately and even then there’s no way we’ll purge everything.  
**P-108: **Given the potential security breach, we should enact Situation-8. That will allow us to finish Project 07L839 and provide an opportunity to-  
**The Lamb: **No.  
[Significant Pause Recorded]  
**The Lamb:** Oh, don’t give me that look! You heard me. I’ve tarried with this long enough. We know where they are staying, so a coordinated stealth cruise missile strike will-  
**P-108:** I do not recommend that.  
**The Lamb:** Oh? Why not?  
[Significant Pause Recorded]  
**The Lamb:** I asked you a question, _Professor_. I recall you were like this when we agreed to assassinate SONG’s original commander. Certainly, he was an obstacle, but your reluctance to accept that Whiskey-November-2 should also take shots at the Sierra’s was quite puzzling. Now, it’s getting irksome.  
**P-108: **What do you want?  
**The Lamb: **I want them dead. Get the most urgent threat eliminated so we can get this damn business over with and focus on eliminating everything else at our luxury.  
**P-108:** Is that all?  
**The Lamb: **Is there anything else?  
**P-108:** I want them dead as well. But I also want them _defeated_. I want the world to know that its security cannot be trusted in their hands and that all their power can be broken by the science of man. Killing them in their sleep won’t do that.  
**The Lamb: **You would have us try to take them down in such an inefficient manner just to prove a point?  
**P-108: **You should not underestimate the power of perception.  
**The Lamb: **This is ridiculous. My decision on this is final. Trying to take the Sierra-Golfs down in such a direct manner has already cost us… um… uh...  
[Significant Pause Detected]  
**The Lamb: **I’m sorry, I seem to have drifted off there. What were we talking about again?  
**P-108: **We were discussing the liquidation of the Laodicea Board for cutting corners with commercialization of 09T233.  
**The Lamb: **Right, yes. A gross piece of incompetence that will cost us greatly. I’ll have Red Unit make the arrangements.  
**P-108:** Also, given the failure of the raid, I recommend we institute Situation-8 once the Sierra-Golfs return from China.  
**The Lamb:** Hmm… the point of the raid was to get that information. And Situation-8 does provide a potential way to bring down the Sierra-Golf’s. Is there anything else?  
**P-108: **No.  
**The Lamb:** Very well, dismissed.  
[The Lamb Link Terminated]  
[Significant Pause Recorded]  
**P-108:** Red Unit, Liquidate Audio Log #67823-G-1712, Message 32 through 40.  
[Instructions Affirmed. Messages #32-40 Liquidated]  
**P-108:** Upon link termination, liquidate all messages from Lamb’s log-out through to log end.  
[Instructions Affirmed. Liquidation Request Logged]  
**P-108: **A divergence. Not unexpected, but potentially problematic. Will have to manage this.

[15Z601 Link Terminated. Log Ends]  
[Audio Log #67823-G-1712 Messages 48-50 Liquidated]

\----

**Next Chapter: **Fly Towards The Dawn

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name Laodicea Electronics Industries is derived from the Council of Laodicea, a Synod held in 363-364 AD. The resulting canon actually banned the Book of Revelation from the bible and declared the reading of noncanonical books to be heresy. The canon’s authenticity has been disputed by historians though. Or at least, this is what wikipedia tells me.
> 
> Now, here’s something I want you to leave in the reviews: if you had the opportunity to ask either Hibiki or Chris one question, what would you ask? Will this have relevance to the story?  
…  
Mebbe.


	29. Fly Towards The Dawn

**Distortions  
** **Chapter 29:  
** **Fly Towards The Dawn**

\----

Chris knocked gently on the apartment door in front of her. To be honest, she wasn’t too enthusiastic about seeing Qiao Cai again. But Maria was off on her mission with Souji, the Zababa pair were still in transit to China, and Miku and Hibiki were constantly over at the Chinese idol’s place in their pseudo-bodyguard role, stomping through Hibiki’s summer homework. Unless she wanted to watch Elfnein lose herself in alchemy-science-whatever or somehow lose a staring contest with Commander Ogawa despite him never making direct eye contact, that really only left her coming over here as a means to get some entertainment.

“Yukine-senpai!” Qiao enthused after opening the door. “I’m so glad you could come over! I heard that Kirika and Shirabe-senpai are visiting too.”

“Please, don’t call them senpai.” Chris nodded in greeting, a gesture a bit at odd with her words, as she stepped through the entrance. “They can get pretty cheeky when you inflate their egos like that.”

Qiao laughed as she rolled her eyes at Chris’s words. “Well, don’t just stand around waiting! Come on in!” she said, leading Chris down the short entrance forway and into the living room. 

Chris paused and glanced around.

“Swanky place you have here.” She said. Indeed, it managed to be bigger than her own apartment. Actually more on the level of Hibiki and Miku’s flat. The living space she was in now actually consisted of a wooden floor centered on a coffee table with a couch on one side and two chairs on the other. Chris noted Miku on the couch, glancing up from a magazine as she came in.

“Chris!” The black haired girl called.

Chris lazily waved back. “Yo. Where’s your wi-” Chris was interrupted by her vision going dark as she felt a pair of hands clasp over her face.

“Guess who~!” An irritatingly familiar voice asked.

With a great sigh, Chris said. “The idiot.”

Her irritation only spiked higher as the idiot in question hummed.

“Hmm… nope! I don’t know anyone named ‘the idiot’! Try again~!”

“Grah!” Chris snarled. “It’s Tachibana! Hibiki Tachibana!” She jerked forward, tearing out of the pair of hands. “Now let go of me, you idiot!”

“Wah!” Hibiki leapt back in surprise. “You _can _say my name!”

“Of course I can, ya idiot! We’ve known each other for that long, I just don’t make a habit of it!” Chris spun around and jabbed a finger at the Gungnir wielder. “You’re Hibiki Tachibana and your wife is Miku Kohinata. Senpai is Tsubasa Kazanari, the kid is Kirika Akatsuki, the other kid is Shirabe Tsukuyomi and Maria is… well, Maria.“ With a harrumph, Chris twisted away and stuck her nose in the air. “Enjoy that, because you probably aren’t going to hear it again for _years_!”

“It came up in a conversation.” Miku explained with a small shake of her head. “And suddenly Hibiki started scheming… well, that.”

“Of course she did.” Chris grumbled, her attention shifting onto the last person in the room. Yang was eyeing her strangely from her own position on one of the chairs across from Miku. “Erm… ‘sup?”

“Hello. Chris Yukine, right?” Yang’s voice was polite, but there was a strange undertone to it. “Yang Ning, Qiao’s number one fan.” Her head tilted a little, her eyes flashing warningly. “I heard you upset Qiao when she visited?”

“Yang.” Qiao pre-empted any reaction from Chris. Her voice had a warning tone as she placed her hands on her hips. “I told you. I was in the wrong there and Yukine-senpai was very gracious and understanding of it. Be nice.”

Yang flinched and her eyes fell. Raising a hand to the back of her neck, she sheepishly replied. “Oh… okay. I’m sorry, Yukine-san. It’s… nice to meet you. Please, help Qiao out whenever you can.”

“Erm… yeah.” Chris said, both unsure and unwilling to address what just happened and deciding to move right past it. She started to walk over to a spare chair to take a seat. “Sure thing. I… I just don’t like getting surprised.”

“Speaking of surprises,” Hibiki cheered as she plopped down on the couch right next to Miku. “Qiao-chan had a pretty good idea.”

Chris froze, midway to taking a seat, her head coming up. “Eh?”

“It’ll only happen if you agree to it!” Qiao clarified hurriedly, waving her hands. “We don’t want to spring anything on you. No surprises, like you said!”

Chris remained frozen in her half-sitting position, looking at Qiao suspiciously. In her own seat, Yang tensed. Finally, Chris sat down and nodded evenly. “Alright, I’ll hear it out.”

“So… I noticed that your standing with the public has improved quite a bit, but you're still the least popular of the adaptors.” Qiao began, her voice somewhat uncertain. “And I was hoping maybe I could help out in rectifying that a bit.” Chris watched as the Chinese idol talked, not sure if she should be concerned by the way Qiao grew more and more confident with each word. “Now, I remember you didn’t really react well to crowds, but I heard from Hibiki-senpai that you have a small online presence.”

“Yeah?” Chris asked, still not quite sure where Qiao was going with this.

“Well, I was thinking we could expand it a bit.” Qiao said. “And a good way we could do that is an online video interview with me!”

Chris stared at her for the longest moment. Then something about that statement clicked. “Wait… ‘we’?”

“Yeah!” Hibiki spoke-up. “Qiao would have to interview you, of course. But we also figured I could be on there too.”

Chris stared at Hibiki, then slowly her gaze swung around to Qiao. “Me and her on camera. Together. Interacting.” The very idea was giving Chris the first inklings of a headache.

“Well, Hibiki-senpai is the most popular adaptor.” Qiao said, tapping her forefingers together. “And you two are obviously very close. So I figured the public seeing your dynamic would only help you. It’d have all the benefits of your forum thing, but the additional bonus of people seeing what your relationship is like in a…” She paused, trying to think of the right word to use. “A very _live _manner. You would be more like people, rather than distant heroes.”

“Yep! After all, Chris is my best friend!” Hibiki cheered.

Chris started at that, her eyes widening as she blushed. “Wha-! Idiot… What about you and your wife? You’re always calling her your best friend.”

“Have you heard me call her that since February?” Hibiki asked. “It’s like you say Chris: Miku’s my wife. I love her with all my heart and soul...” She looked over at the girl in question with a brilliant smile. Miku, for her part, just smiled back with a slight blush, taking Hibiki’s hand and squeezing it supportively. Hibiki nodded and turned back. “But after her, I think of you as the person closest to me.”

Chris’ mind worked quickly as she glanced from Hibiki to Miku and then over to Qiao and Yang, who were just silently watching the conversation. At last she managed out, “What about Senpai?”

“Tsubasa-san?” Hibiki asked. “I’ll admit, yeah. I’ve known Tsubasa-san longer than you. And I guess I would say she’s a _very_ close third. But…” She paused, placing a finger to her chin in thought. “Tsubasa-san still keeps this _distance _between me and her like she does with everyone, save for Maria-san. I don’t fault her for that… she does it to protect us as much as to protect herself. But there isn’t that with you.”

Chris just stared. Her first instinct was to next ask about Maria or one of the Zababa duo, but the answer became apparent to her even as she thought of those questions. Hibiki was close with them, yes. Closer than any non-adaptor she could think of. But as close as she was with Chris? Not a chance.

But Hibiki continued. “And I know it isn’t just me who feels like we’re best friends, Chris.” She gave a quick glance over to Miku who silently released her hand. Then the Gungnir wielder leaned out and grabbed Chris’s own. “I can tell you think of me as your best friend too. That’s your connection with me, just like Miku is your first friend or Komichi-chan is the one you love.”

Now Chris went really red, embarrassment flooding her mind at the happiness she felt. But she couldn’t bring herself to actually react her usual way. She could tell Hibiki wasn’t teasing her this time nor was she actually wrong. So in the end, she could only focus on the last line Hibiki uttered. “Idiot!” She yanked her hand back. “Komichi and I… we aren’t like that!”

“Oh, I know you aren’t.” Hibiki smirked now, some of her previous seriousness falling away. “Not _yet _at least.” She leaned back on the sofa. “But still, if you agree to do this, I’ll be right there with you. Just like in battle!”

Chris took a deep breath in lieu of answering, wrestling her emotions under control. Hibiki’s acknowledgement that she was her best friend was embarrassing, yes. But it was also… reassuring. She’d always have her back, just like Chris would always have hers. There really was just only one issue that remained in her mind.

She glanced at Hibiki and Miku. “Have you checked this with PR?” Sure, she might not have liked the guy, but she didn’t really dislike him either and Yoshigara did know his stuff. Plus, he represented an out if she changed her mind.

“Yes.” Miku said. “He stated that he would only approve it if you did.”

“I see.” Chris turned back to Qiao. “Alright… I’ll do it.”

Qiao clapped her hands together as she got up. “Really? Great! I’ll go start getting everything set-up with Yang.”

“Wait…” Chris said, waving her hands. “You want to do this now?”

Qiao paused, exchanging a glance with Yang before turning back. “Well, we don’t have to. I’d just be setting things up. But… do you want to wait?”

“Uh…” Now that Chris thought about it, there really wasn’t any reason to do so if she wanted too. “A little? Just give _me _a few more minutes to mentally prepare myself when you're done with preparations.” She took a moment as another question occurred to her.

“Erm... how secure will this interview be?” Chris asked, glancing over at Yang.

The ponytailed girl shot her an incredulous look. “Secure? This is _China_, Yukine-san.” She crossed her arms seriously. “Anyone who's serious about internet usage uses a VPN, at the _minimum_.”

Chris wasn’t sure whether a mere VPN, plus whatever other private security additions, would work against the Horsemen. But she decided not to point that out. After all, the whole point of this was that it wasn’t that secret.

—

“This is a bad idea.” Chris said.

“You’ll do great.” Hibiki reassured her.

Chris desperately tried not to be reassured. “It’ll be like the press conference all over again.”

“Look, Qiao and Yang aren’t gonna ask us any questions to try and make us look awful. And they’ll filter out any of the leading questions from the chat.” Hibiki pointed out. “Plus, I’ll make sure everyone sees your cute side this time.”

“Oh, wonderful.” Chris muttered, rubbing her forehead at the prospect. And how many brain cells was that going to cost her?

They had relocated to a small studio Qiao used, although the idol stated she also used it as a gym and training room these days. According to Hibiki, the sofa they were now sitting on was actually more comfortable then the one in the living room. Not for the first time, Chris wondered precisely how long Qiao had been thinking of this idea. And precisely which one of them it was really for.

“By the way…” Chris idly asked, seeking conversation while they waited. “What about your homework?”

“I’ve got most of it done for today.” Hibiki waved her hand. “Dad was a big help yesterday. I should have it all wrapped up by tomorrow!”

“The idiot actually turning in her homework on time.” Chris shook her head. “That’ll shock your teachers way more than the Symphogear revelations ever did.” She turned to look at Miku, quietly bent over behind a table with Yang inquiring about what she was doing. “Hey, idiot’s wife, ain’t you gonna join?”

Miku glanced up and smiled a little. “This is mostly for you Chris. Even Hibiki’s there mainly to help you out. Probably be a bit overly distracting for both of us to be there, especially since _someone _told the world about our relationship.”

Hibiki cringed, laughing awkwardly. “Uh, yeah… plus it was mainly mine and Qiao’s idea.” She fidgeted a little before continuing. “Erm… are you… upset about that, Miku? I never got the sense you were...”

Miku paused, looking up quickly, then she shook her head. “As embarrassing as it was, Hibiki, no, I didn’t mind. It was just a joke, don’t worry.”

Hibiki sagged with relief, drawing a worried glance from Chris. “Yo?” She asked, getting the Gungnir users attention. She didn’t continue, instead raising an eyebrow in an unspoken follow up. “_Everything alright?_”

Hibiki smiled, nodded, and shrugged. _“Yeah, everything’s fine_” was the message there. Chris didn’t detect any underlying uncertainty behind it, so she nodded and turned to Qiao, who was sorting through some papers on a table next to her chair.

“So how long are until we start?” Chris asked.

“Well…” Qiao glanced up. “Usually we set up the stream and chat first, but we’ll hold off on starting the video right away in order to generate interest. Put up something ahead of time to let people know something special is coming up, you know? Although, speaking of ahead of time, Kohinata-senpai, did you-?”

“Yes, I already called and let SONG know.” Miku answered, looking up. “Yoshigara-san was actually a bit surprised to hear you agreed to this, Chris.”

Chris responded with a shrug in lieu of an actual answer, and Qiao continued. “So yeah, that should be where we’re at. Yang?”

“Got it all up.” Her friend confirmed, eyes on her screen. “Chat’s filling up too. It’s mostly the usual crowd, but I think it’ll explode once they see who your ‘special guests’ are.” She looked up at Hibiki and Chris to indicate a big board on the wall behind her. “Wanna see? We’ll have this up so you’ll know what you look like on camera during the session anyways.”

Chris thought about it for a bit then nodded. “Yeah, why not?”

Yang hit a few buttons and the board lit up, the screen showing a black video window with a chat bar on the right, constantly scrolling up as messages were posted. Unfortunately, they were all in Mandarin.

“What are they talking about?” Hibiki asked, eyeing the texts. Mandarin’s similarities with Japanese had helped Hibiki to pick up on some smaller things, but conversational reading was still beyond her.

Chris on the other hand, had adapted much faster. “If I’m reading it right, it looks like they are wondering why China here has only had one appearance over the last month?”

“China?” Qiao asked, quirking an eyebrow at the nickname. Chris just shrugged in response.

“Got it in one.” Yang chirped. “How’d you know that?”

“I grabbed some books on Pinyin for the flight over.” Chris answered. “Given the commonalities between our alphabets, it was no biggie learning to read. Don’t ask me to try and pronounce any of it yet though. I’d _at least_ get the tonals wrong.”

“Ah, wow, you _are _smart.” Yang said. Chris blanched at that, wondering which leaked file _that _had been in. But Yang carried on. “Buncha these guys are diehard fans, like myself. They’re actually a bit mad at how hush-hush you’ve been lately, Qiao.”

“Well, I guess we can address that here.” Qiao muttered, stretching before glancing up at the clock. “Go ahead and boot up the camera, but don’t start streaming just yet. Let’s make sure it all works.”

“Right-o!” Yang agreed, punching another button. The little “power on” dot on the camera laying between her and the sofa-chair combo Chris, Hibiki, and Qiao were sitting flickered on. The image of the three soon appeared on the big board behind them, although a little red icon with Chinese text in the bottom right indicated to Chris whether the audience could see them.

“Ah! I thought you said not to start!” Hibiki started a little, looking up at herself on the video screen and panicking a little. “Does my hair look messy?”

“It looks like how it always does you idiot.” Chris muttered. “And they aren’t streaming.” She waved at the red icon. “At least, that’s what it says next to that icon.”

“Subtitles are already up, since this’ll mostly be in Japanese.” Yang said with a smile. “I’ve internationalized the translation system, since I’m sure once the news spreads we’ll be getting people from all over trying to join in.”

“Joy.” Chris muttered, she wondered if any of the people from those forums would be watching it. She started twirling at one of her hair strands as she checked the time and bit her lip. Less than a minute to go.

“Hey…” A hand touched Chris’s shoulder and she glanced over to see Hibiki with a confident smile. “This won’t be like the press conference. I promise you. Just… be yourself, ya know?”

Chris stared back, then shook her head. “Whatever, you idiot.” Despite her words, she couldn’t help but smile.

“Alright!” Yang announced, causing everyone to straighten up. “Five, four, three, two, one… and go!”

The recording light on the camera lit up and the red icon on the big board flicked from red to green. Fortunately, it started zoomed in on Qiao.

“Hello everyone!” Qiao began with a radiant smile. She was speaking in Mandarin, but the girls’ translators caught everything just fine. “Qiao here! It’s been so long, I know! I bet you all have been wondering where I’ve been. Well, the truth is that Qiao’s been out making new friends. I’m sure many of you have already heard of the certain surprise appearance I made at the end of last month with some certain superheroes? Well, Qiao left them with an invitation to visit her. And today, two of them have taken me up on that offer!”

She turned to Hibiki. “First up, the lady who really needs no introduction, hailed as _the _Heroine of the World and whose fists embody her determination: Symphogear Yellow, Hibiki Tachibana!”

“Hello everyone!” Hibiki said as she waved enthusiastically at the camera panning over to her. “_Heiki hecchara_! We are grateful for your support!”

Qiao nodded approvingly at Hibiki’s enthusiastic response. “And our second guest: known as a walking missile cruiser, she wields guns, bows, and missiles with equal skill and equal ferocity: Symphogear Red, Chris Yukine!”

The camera panned over to Chris and she tried to smile easily. The lack of a visible audience helped, she just had to pretend she was at home, talking with her parents. “Hey there everyone. I’ll admit, I was a bit uncertain about this. But still, I’d like to help set the record straight where I can.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that.” Qiao reassured her, switching to Japanese. “We’re looking to let people get to know you for you, not hunting for something you might or might not have done a long time ago.” She switched back to Mandarin quickly as she turned to the camera. “Out of respect for our guests, most of the interview will be conducted in the Symphogear Adaptor’s native language. But we will be sure to bring you full subtitles, regardless of where you live! And standby for the end, where we’ll present you, the audience, with the opportunity to ask your questions!”

“So!” As she spoke, Qiao switched back to Japanese as she turned to Hibiki and Chris. “How are you enjoying Shanghai?”

“It’s fun!” Hibiki enthused quickly. “Although there aren’t as much in the way of vending machines here.”

“You’re always startled by that.” Chris shook her head in disbelief. “No matter where we go. It’s like you forget not everywhere is like Japan.”

“Well, it’s not like you help.” Hibiki crossed her arms with a harrumph. “You once told me there were convenience stores in Antartica!”

“Right, and it’s your own fault for believing it.” Chris waved her hand dismissively.

“Antarctica?” Qiao inquired. “You mean when you went to take on that giant robot penguin.”

“Yep!” Hibiki grinned, “It was pretty tough, but we’ve been all over.”

“SONG has sent us all over the world, really.” Chris said. “But we usually didn’t get to hang out much. You might recall that Volcanic Eruption in West Africa back in May? We were there.”

“Oh yeah!” Hibiki nodded, “I remember that. Particularly when that rockslide happened?”

“And everyone was all like ‘oh no, it’s gonna cause a tsunami’.” Chris replied easily.

“Yeah, but you were all like: ‘no way!’” Hibiki brought her hands together up in front of her chest. “And then you blew them all up with MegaDeth Party!” She burst her hands out in imitation of an explosion.

Chris’s attention, however, was caught by a different aspect of Hibiki’s version of the story. “What was that attempt to imitate me? I don’t sound like that.”

It had indeed been a terrible imitation. Qiao giggled a bit at that. “But did you really prevent a tsunami, Yukine-san?”

“Eh?” Chris blinked. “Oh yeah. I mean, the volcano was bad enough. I don’t think they could’ve handled a tsunami as well. Although I do think the idiot _is _overselling it a bit.” She waved her hand. “The other kid did a lotta good work herself chopping them up, making them more manageable.”

“You’re making your lives sound like some kinda anime, you know?” Qiao pointed out.

Hibiki laughed at that. “You kinda sound like a friend back home.”

“Yeah, well… that’s just because they’re missions. Those always get a bit crazy.” Chris mused. “Outside of them, we tried to live our lives the same anybody else did. Attending school, hangin’ out, having fun. Living a normal life.” She sighed. “Those days were nice. Now every moment we’re on edge thinking someone’s gonna recognize us and turn the place into a circus.”

Qiao frowned a little, leaning forward in her chair. “Do you really think that? That there’s been nothing nice from getting attention?”

Chris paused, considering that question. She thought of the little boy she was able to comfort and of the children looking up to her with eagerness in their eyes. She thought of the shout of support that was the one good thing in that otherwise fucked up stunt Qiao tried to pull and the funny feeling she got when she was asked for her autograph. “No… there’s some things that I guess have been pretty nice.”

Qiao smiled. “Well, let’s hope you have more of that to look forward in the future! But since we’re talking about your fame, I heard you guys have been acquiring some genuine superhero names!”

Hibiki blinked unknowingly but Chris began to color rapidly as she immediately realized where Qiao was going with this. Unaware of her best friend’s sudden embarrassment, Hibiki added. “Wait, I thought people always referred to us as ‘Symphogear Yellow’ or whatever because before our identities got released, the main thing most people remembered were-”

“No, no!” Qiao interjected. “I meant more unique names. Like how Yukine-san is being called MegaDeth!”

“Oh…” Hibiki blinked, then a big smile broke out across her face and she looked practically ready to leap up and down on the couch in excitement. “Yeah, the Marines nicknamed her that in Panau because a lot of her missile attacks are like ‘MegaDeth whatever’. But she always gets hilariously red when you mention it and-OWOWOW!”

The cry of pain was prompted by Chris reaching over to yank on Hibiki’s cheek, a vein throbbing in her forehead. Her scowl though couldn’t disguise the blush on her face. “I get red because it’s embarrassing as all heck!” She released Hibiki and crossed her arms. “_You _really should understand that by now, ‘_Lovebird_’.”

Hibiki also couldn’t help but blush at that. “Yeah, that one is pretty embarrassing. Miku got a cool one with ‘Rainmaker’ though.”

Chris paused to think that over. “... Okay, yeah. You’ve got a point there. That one’s pretty radical.”

From where she stood, Miku blushed a little. Hearing Hibiki call “Rainmaker” cool had become routine enough pretty fast, but hearing it from both her _and_ Chris brought a little bit of that initial embarrassment back. To hide her embarrassment, Miku glanced down at the computer Yang was sitting at to monitor the chat.

And then she boggled: when the interview had first started, the numbers had been in the high-hundreds. Now they were in_ the millions_. And Miku could see that even in the chat, english and Japanese speakers were waying in.

“Let’s go to audience questions!” Qiao declared, looking over at Yang. “What do you have for us?”

“Well, this one’s common enough.” Yang said, punching in a summary on her keyboard that she then messaged over to the smartpad in Qiao’s lap. The Chinese idol glanced down to read.

“What is your favorite food? And why?”

“Ah, the classic.” Chris deadpanned. “And I’m sure the idiot will say-”

“Rice and rice!” Hibiki announced proudly, lifting her hands up in front of her determinedly, her elbows bent. Then she paused, a frown working its way across her face. “Although why? Eh… well, that would be… I guess because I can have a lot at once?”

Chris shook her head and levelled an even gaze at the camera. “She’s a vacuum folks. Always cook triple when she’s over.”

“I’ve noticed.” Qiao laughed. “But what about you, Yukine-san?”

“Oh, me?” Chris asked, shrugging. “Anpan. That red bean paste is just so deliciously sweet and when you combine that with the bread… I just can’t get enough of it.”

“It’s true!” Hibiki piped up. “When Chris-chan gets her hands on one, she just tears into it and she’s such a messy eater-”

“You don’t need to tell them that, you idiot!” Chris shouted, her face going red. “And I swear to god: I’m improving! I don’t dribble remotely as much any more.”

“I know!” Hibiki smiled. “Although it’s kinda sad, you used to look really cute with your messy eating…”

Chris cringed, and glanced away, still blushing. All she could muster up was just muttering another quick. “You idiot…”

Qiao glanced over to Yang. “Well, with that settled, next question?”

“We are getting this one quite a bit.” Yang replied, sending the summary over.

“Do you have any heroic poses?” Qiao read.

“Hmm…” Hibiki thought about it, placing a finger to her chin in consideration. “I don’t know if I’d call them heroic, but I do know a buncha martial arts stances that I thought were cool when I first saw ‘em that might count.” Then she smacked her fist into her hand, her eyes lighting up in realization. “Oh, but Chris-chan has this great one that she can do real fast!”

“EH?!” Chris turned, her eyes wide with surprise at her friend's sudden proclamation.

“Yeah, you know: that little ‘bang’ thing you do sometimes.” Hibiki smiled.

Qiao looked at Chris eagerly. “Oh? Yukine-san has a heroic pose she can do real fast?”

“That?” Chris’ eyes widened. “No way, I’m not doing that in front of all these people!”

“Aww… come on Chris-chan.” Hibiki pleaded, going full puppy dog eyes.

Chris bit her lip, then shook her head. It was just a stupid little motion. “Ugh, the things you convince me to do.”

Standing up, Chris tried to tamp down on her blush, although she didn’t think she had much success with that. Drawing herself up, she closed her eyes to take a calming breath as she adopted a classic shooter’s stance. When she opened her eyes, she smiled cockily as she brought up both of her hands to eye level, forming her right into a “finger-gun” and resting it atop the palm of her left. She shut her left eye, pretending to take aim…

“Bang!” She shouted as she “fired” her finger-gun, jerking it up with mock-recoil. Closing her eyes, she turned her back to the camera and her head to the side, raising the finger gun’s “barrel” to her mouth and blowing away the imaginary smoke. Before finally turning her head fully forward... as much to hide the enormous blush exploding across her face as to finish it off. What was she thinking agreeing to this?!

Behind her, the chat positively exploded. Messages flying so fast that Qiao quickly stopped even trying to read. From behind her desk, Yang whistled lowly. People _really _liked that one.

“That was so cute!” Qiao enthused. “You’re like Cupid, shooting us with your arrows of love!”

“It’s supposed to be a pistol, not a crossbow.” Chris muttered as she sat back down, her face still red.

“Aww… come on!” Hibiki didn’t help matter, wrapping an arm around Chris’s neck to try and pull her in for a hug. “Isn’t she just the best, everyone?”

“Gah!” Chris scowled, pushing on Hibiki desperately. “Get off of me!” The Gungnir user just laughed and tried to pull her in even harder before relenting.

“Right, right!” Qiao laughed at the two’s antics. “I guess we better move onto the next question. Yang?”

“Gimme a moment, chat’s just starting to calm down!” Yang called, silence lapping for a few moments as the scrawl slowed back down. Finally, she noted one. “I’ll admit, I’m a little curious about this myself. It’s for Hibiki.”

Qiao’s smile fell off her face as she looked down at her. Not because it was a bad question, but because it was a serious one. But… well, it wasn’t _too _serious, she supposed. “Hibiki-san, where do you think you would be if you didn’t have Miku with you after the Zwei Wing Concert?”

Silence fell over the room at that, everyone looking to Hibiki whose gaze went from Qiao, to the camera, then to Miku, and then back to Qiao again. Her cheerful smile had frozen on her face before dropping down to something less shining, more rigid. Her shoulders noticeably slumped as she reached up to scratch the back of her neck, glancing down and away. “I… I don’t know.”

She lapsed into silence at that. Chris furrowed her own brow in concern. “Hey… are you-”

“Ah!” Hibiki started, shaking her head. She quickly smiled for the camera. “Sorry about that everyone, I was just… thinking about that question. But… really, yeah, I don’t really have an answer for that. Miku has been such a big part of my life that her not being there...” She shook her head again. “Right. I don’t really know at the moment. Kinda lame I guess?”

“Hibiki.” Miku muttered, her mouth drawing into a line of concern.

“Got one specifically for Chris-san.” Yang noted quickly as she sent it, trying to overcome the sudden dreary feeling the interview had seemed to take. “Not quite sure what it means though.”

Qiao glanced down at her smartpad and indeed, her eyes furrowed in slight confusion. “Why have you had such trouble using that sniper crossbow thing?”

“Huh…” Chris muttered, leaning back. “Did someone really watch all the combat footage that painstakingly? Hell… I really gotta check precisely how much of that was leaked.”

“Are they referring to Red Hot Blaze?” Hibiki asked, thinking back. “Let me see… I remember that you managed to get Elsa-chan with it once. But Millaarc-san got in the way against Vanessa-san, you had to smack Leiur-san with it, and when FiS were escaping in that helicopter-”

“Oh, I could’ve taken _that _shot, sure.” Chris noted, “But then I’d have blown the whole plane up. We were trying to capture them, remember? Not kill them. I was hoping to hit one of the wings...” She shook her head. “It’s supposed to be the perfect shot, ya know? But it just takes so long to calculate all the damn variables.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t wait then?” Qiao asked. “I mean, if the shot’s good enough, then isn’t it good enough?”

Chris paused to consider that. “Well, there are some things we deal with where anything less than a perfect shot is unacceptable. But some other times… hmm… yeah, I’ll have to keep that in mind. Oh!” She punched her hand at a memory. “I used the targeting system against that robo-penguin at Lake Vostok. That’s gotta count, right?”

“I dunno Chris-chan, it still wasn’t the rifle.” Hibiki pointed out. “It did do a great job setting us up for the G3FA though.”

“Got another one for Hibiki!” Yang called out, sending it over. In truth, she had selected this one because it did manage to feel different enough from that earlier unexpected question, even if it was a little bit about Miku.

Qiao primarily read off. “What do you love more, Hibiki, Miku or rice?”

Hibiki’s answer was immediate. “Miku!”

Chris jerked back slightly in surprise. Not because of the answer, that frankly was an enormous no-brainer, but rather due to the sudden vehemence which Hibiki had delivered it.

“You…” Hibiki gulped as she sat back down, her eyes downcast. “You probably all remember how I called Miku my sunshine. And she is. You asked where I would be without her earlier, and I said I didn’t know. But… I didn’t mean that I didn’t know what would happen to me. Without her I’m sure I would have lost myself. That I wouldn’t have been able to maintain this desire to laugh, to help others, to move forward. I already almost lost her twice. And she… she once thought she had lost _me_. The idea of anything, **_anything_**, taking her away from me again is…” She glanced aside, her voice falling. “I couldn’t stand it. I won’t let it happen again, no matter what.”

“Hey.” Chris clapped a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure she feels the same way.” Her eyes drifted over to Miku, who nodded gratefully back.

“Yeah.” Hibiki muttered, then she perked up. “But I’ll always, _always_ let her know… Miku!” She threw a hand out towards the girl. “I love you!”

“Hibiki…” Miku murmured from where she was standing. Her cheeks were flushed at the idea Hibiki was saying this pretty much to the whole world, but even her embarrassment at the thoughtless affection was overwhelmed by how touched she felt.

“Oh my god, you absolute idiot.” Chris groaned, bringing a hand to her face to hide her embarrassment. “Why do you feel the need to say that every time you’re in front of a camera? ‘Lovebird’ indeed!”

A wave from Yang caught Qiao’s attention. The pony-tailed girl indicated the clock and when Qiao glanced, she saw that they were approaching the timespan they had worked out with Chris. Quickly turning, she smiled. “I suppose we had best wrap this up then! Before we go, is there anything you would like to say to our audience?”

“Hmm...” Hibiki hummed in consideration, before her eyes lit up. “Yeah, I’ve got something: if someone is doing something you know is wrong and tries to justify themselves to you when you confront them, remember to always cry out: ‘_dattoshitemo_’!”

Chris rolled her eyes, but she too was contemplating the question. “I guess…” She finally said, contemplating the question. Then the answer struck her. “I guess I’d like to say, if you ever meet someone who is suffering… please, reach out to them. You could change a life. That is...” She glanced up to Miku and then over to Hibiki, a small unconscious smile coming over her face. “That is what happened to me.”

“And with that, we take our leave.” Qiao grinned widely to the camera, flashing a V-sign. “Until next time Qiao fans!”

“Bye-bye!” Hibiki called in english as she waved, prompting an amused shake of the head from Chris. The recording line went down.

“So…” Miku asked Yang, glancing down at the scrolling chat feed. “What’s the reaction?”

“Looks good over all.” Yang nodded. “I’mma let the chat run for another ten minutes before shutting it down.”

Back with Qiao, she turned to Chris. “See, that wasn’t so bad?”

Chris shrugged. Then her SONG phone, laid out on the table across from Yang’s laptop, rang, causing everyone to glance over toward it curiously first then to Miku’s and Hibiki’s, which remained quiet.

“I… I’d better take that.” Chris said, walking over quickly to answer it. She brought it to her ear as she stepped towards a corner. “Yukine here.”

“Hibiki?” At Miku’s voice, Hibiki turned to face her girlfriend, who had crossed the room to take Chris’s spot beside her on the couch. “What you said-”

“Ah! Did I make you embarrassed again too?!” Hibiki waved her hands in front of her quickly. “I mean… do you want me to stop saying that stuff to the media or-”

But Miku shook her head. “No, that’s not what I meant. What you said before that.”

“Ah…” Hibiki scratched her head, not sure why she suddenly felt anxious. Maybe it was something about the concern Miku was looking at her with. She glanced to see if Qiao was listening in, only to find the Chinese idol had gone over to Yang to discuss some things with her. “Erm… what about it?”

“Is… everything okay?”

“Yes!” Hibiki answered quickly. “Everything’s fine, totally fine, of course.”

Miku studied her for a bit, then sighed, accepting the answer for now. Hibiki probably would insist on not engaging in front of the others. She’d press for more information another time. “Okay.”

“I gotta get to HQ.” Chris announced, catching everyone’s attention as she turned for the studio door. “Car’s on the way, and they’re bringing the kid.”

“Akatsuki-san or Shirabe-san?” Yang asked as they followed.

“I said the kid,” Chris answered, “Not the _other _kid.”

“Ah, an important distinction.” Qiao quipped.

“Wait, just Kirika-chan?” Hibiki asked. “They didn’t ask for us?”

Chris shook her head. “Nope. They did say it’s a mission, but not what for. New wireless security protocols and all.”

“I see.” Miku said. “Don’t worry about Kirika-chan, Chris. We’ll make sure she’s okay. And she’ll be able to meet Yang-san.”

“Make sure she doesn’t hit on her.” Chris deadpanned, indicating Qiao with her head, as they reached the living room. Yang suddenly tensed on that.

“Would she do that?”

“I’m sure Chris-chan is joking!” Hibiki added quickly. “Kirika-chan’s really committed to Shirabe-chan. And not much of a flirt.” Yang relaxed.

“It was good ta meetcha, I guess.” Chris allowed, turning for the front door.

But before she reached it, Qiao eagerly called out. “Could you say what you thought real fast?”

Chris paused at the question, as it took her a moment to realize that Qiao was asking her what she thought of the video chat. Her mind quickly raced at that. What she thought? Well, she hadn’t really thought anything once they got the ball rolling. So reflecting back, what she thought of the chat would depend on what it felt like. What did it feel like? 

Her face scrunched up a little as she thought about it. It felt like… it felt like Chris was having a conversation with her best friend and with someone that was more of an acquaintance. The audience didn’t really factor in that much at all. In a word, it felt nice. Certainly a far cry from the relentless pressure she had been subjected too at the press conference.

“It wasn’t too bad.” She allowed, turning for the door. Qiao smiled.

\----

“We’ve identified another Horsemen facility.” Commander Ogawa announced. Up on the big screen, a satellite image showing a network of warehouses and loading bays appeared on the screen. “Based on the information Director Ogawa has retrieved, we believe it to be a transportation center of some kind. This industrial zone is located on the western outskirts of Chuanjing Sumu.”

“All that is the Horsemen’s?” Chris asked. But Souji shook his head.

“No, some of these buildings are owned by other companies.” He clarified. “We’ve identified this section as being owned by a front company.” He nodded over to Tomosato, who highlighted a large cluster of the facilities. “Fortunately, the structures owned by the Horsemen form a contiguous area, but still be sure to watch your fire when near the boundaries. And try to avoid shredding servers or anything that looks important.”

“How do we tell if it looks important?” Shirabe asked.

“If the Horsemen themselves try to destroy it, that’s probably a good sign.” Commander Ogawa answered. “Likely their scrubbing programs will manage to damage the information once we attack, but that’s unavoidable. Still, even damaged information can possibly be reconstructed or examined against what we’ve managed from elsewhere, so try to avoid as much damage to anything computerized as possible.”

He paused, to allow for any further questions to be mooted, when none were, he continued. “You’ll be deploying via airdrop. There’s a commercial air route that passes nearby, so a private plane will carry you over the target area. Any questions?”

“Any information about what they’ve got in there?” Chris asked.

“Based on the data and size of the facility,” Director Ogawa replied. “Probably a similar sized defence force to the one by Tokyo.” He brought up a map of the region, except overlaid were a series of circles the adaptors had seen before. One in particular was located on top of the facility. “It is located atop a Yggdrasil branch cavern, so there is likely to be underground facilities.”

Maria nodded. “So we best be mindful of something potentially coming out of them. Got it.”

“Strange they didn’t put anything up at the Yggdrasil cluster over here to the northeast.” Shirabe indicated the cluster of ovals.

“That’s a fake out.” Commander Ogawa noted. “It’s not practical to find Horsemen bases looking for those things. There were just too many Yggdrasil Cores and too many branches. We already had some false positives on that front.”

Maria examined the screen for a few more moments, even though she was already familiar with the images. She had gone over them with Souji, after all. There was one question nagging at her. “What about the Chinese?”

“General Fai was glad to be informed.” Tomosato said, a frown of concentration crossing her face. “Although he didn’t much like the short-degree of notice we were giving him. If we break up a Horsemen base on Chinese soil, however, it will be impossible for anyone to say boo.“

“Not without drawing suspicion about their links to the Horsemen, that is.” Commander Ogawa clarified. “I’d rather have waited informing them until afterwards to avoid potential leaks, but we have legal obligations we have to follow. Still, there shouldn’t be enough heads-up for the Horsemen to react, so we will still maintain the element of surprise. Any further questions?”

A solid silence followed that proclamation. Ogawa gave a steady nod. “Very well. A car is waiting to take you to the airfield. Prepare to deploy immediately.”

“Roger!” Maria, Chris, and Shirabe echoed.

—

“I’ll take the front, Chris you take the back, and Shirabe can handle the flanks.” Maria glanced around from beside the door of the private jet. “Agreed?”

“Yeah, makes sense.” Chris conceded. Shirabe just nodded. Silence overtook the cabin at that, the dull thrum of jet engines through the fuselage the only noise.

Chris took a moment to consider the group. Maria and her had worked together before, but Shirabe… well, no, Shirabe had worked with Tsubasa before, Chris recalled. And of course Shirabe was tight with Maria, but it still felt a bit weird to see the smallest adaptor heading into a mission without her girlfriend next to her. It made Chris wonder precisely how the roster for this mission had been decided.

Then abruptly, she recalled Professor Makoto’s advice when Chris asked him about helping Kirika. Go to Shirabe, try to see what she’s up to and how she can help. Well, they had a fair bit of time before they had to drop, so there was no time like the present.

Chris glanced over to Shirabe and cleared her throat. “So…”

Shirabe turned, her largely bored stare became questioning as she acknowledged Chris was speaking to her. That caused Chris to abruptly freeze, a dumb look on her face as she realized she hadn’t really figured out _how _to breach the subject with Shirabe. Shirabe wasn’t exactly like Elfnein, Hibiki, or Komichi. The direct approach Chris preferred would probably just see her shut down, go defensive. She had to think more like Tsubasa or Miku at the moment.

“So… about, umm…” Chris scratched her neck, trying to figure out the words. “How torn up is the idiot…”

Both Maria and Shirabe blinked at that, exchanging a confused glance. “Torn up about what?” Shirabe asked.

“Um… how her wife is beating herself up over what that pale freak showed her?” Chris tried.

“She… is?” Maria frowned. “When I talked with Miku, she seemed to be working through it adequately with Hibiki?”

“That’s the impression I get too.” Shirabe agreed, but her gaze became suspicious as it drifted back to Chris. “Did something happen, senpai?”

“Well…” Chris flatlined, her eyes darting back and forth between the two other adaptors. “Uh…”

Shirabe’s stare hardened into a glare. Oh, she could see what Chris was getting at. And she didn’t much appreciate the roundabout way the Ichaival user had tried it. Shirabe’s lips curled and her fists tightened. Seeing her kouhai’s reaction, Chris swore up a storm in her head, trying to think quickly before Shirabe shut down completely on her.

At the same time, realization sparkled in Maria’s eyes, and she shook her head in amusement. “Shirabe…” The pinkette said in one of the gentlest voices Chris ever heard from her, catching Shirabe’s attention. “I think Chris just wants to see what she can do to help you with Kirika.”

As Maria spoke, Shirabe relaxed slightly. Chris actually had to marvel at how fast it was: Maria had scarcely begun the sentence before she noticed the change in Shirabe's demeanour. It was a tiny change, yes, but it was there.

Then Maria turned to Chris. “Isn’t that right?”

“Uh…” Chris paused at the sudden address, then sagged. “Yeah. I was tryna do it like senpai or the idiot’s wife would. Guess I didn’t do a very good job.” She looked up. “But… I want to help the kid, just like you do.”

“Senpai…” Shirabe muttered, then she shook her head. “I told you, I’m working on something. I can handle Kiri-chan.”

“Yeah, maybe you can.” Chris agreed, spreading her hands. “But are you sure there isn’t any way I could help you? I mean, it’ll probably come down to you to bring her out of her funk, but I don’t believe one moment that means we can’t help ya out.”

Shirabe paused at that, tilting her head a little. Chris’s words were… similar to what Tsubasa had told her, yet also they contained an elaboration she hadn’t quite considered before. Shirabe wasn’t alone.

“It’s a song.” Shirabe admitted at last.

There was a beat.

“Huh…” Chris murmured, sitting back. “In hindsight, that actually seems rather obvious.”

“Something that connects us all.” Maria agreed. “What can we do to help?”

“Well…” Shirabe considered. “Kawada-san is going to record, but we’ve been struggling with composition a bit.”

“Ah, say no more.” Maria nodded. “I’ve worked with Tsubasa on some songs before, I can chip in a bit on that if you’d like?”

“Me too!” Chris quickly spoke up. “Music theory minor isn’t just for show, ya know? Also, if you need a violin,” She pressed a fist on her chest, “I’m your gal.”

“Ah…” Shirabe said, smiling somewhat awkwardly. “We… actually determined we don’t need a violin in the composition.”

Chris paused at that, “Oh…” She started to rub her arm. “But uh, I can still help with the composition, right?”

“Of course.” Shirabe quickly mollified her senpai. She pressed a finger to her chin in thought. “Although… we do need a piano.”

“Say no more!” Chris quickly crossed her arms. “I’ll talk to the idiot’s wife when we get back. I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to help you out.”

Shirabe and Maria exchanged another glance at that, this one slightly amused. Chris’s desperation to contribute in some manner was pretty clear. Although Shirabe’s amusement vanished after a moment as a thought occurred. “Oh, but Kiri-chan-”

“It’s a surprise, right?” Chris cut her off, correctly guessing the problem. “Don’t worry. We might have to keep the dummy out of the loop, she can’t lie for shit, but her wife should be able to keep the secret well enough.”

“Chris-senpai…” Shirabe felt her heart stir, she had to close her eyes to keep from tearing up in gratitude. “Thank you.”

Chris grinned. Then the intercom dinger, the voice of their SONG pilot coming over the radio. “We’re coming up on the dropzone. ETA is 3 minutes.”

Maria went over to the cabin door and pressed the button to the cockpit. “Understood. We’ll be ready. Give us the countdown at thirty seconds.” She then turned back to the others. “Everyone ready.”

“Always ready to give those Horsemen assholes what-for!” Chris proclaimed, getting to her feet. Next to her, Shirabe just quietly nodded as she rose to her feet. Maria smiled as she returned to the door.

“You know…” The Pinkette said. “I do believe this is the first time either of you have done HALO.”

“HALO?” Shirabe asked.

“High-Altitude, Low-Opening.” Maria clarified, as she disengaged all but the very last door locks. “Although I suppose in our case, it would be High-Altitude, No-Opening.”

“Wait,” Chris’s eyebrow furrowed, “We’ve jumped from helicopters before.”

Maria shook her head as she turned around. “High altitude jumps are defined as being conducted over six thousand, seven hundred meters. That’s about a thousand meters more than the service ceiling on SONG helicopters.”

Both Chris and Shirabe nodded in understanding at that. One question did still bug them though...

“When did you do that, Maria?” Shirabe asked.

Her reply was instant. “During training at FiS.”

“Thirty seconds.” The intercom crackled. “Twenty-nine, twenty-eight…”

Maria disengaged the last lock and placed her hand on the door handle, then she glanced over her shoulder as Chris and Shirabe lined up behind her. All their hands clutched at their pendants, tensed and ready. Chris had a thin smile of confidence while Shirabe’s face was a mask of concentration. Maria wondered a moment what her own expression was right now as she turned back to the door. She wished she had a mirror.

“Five, four, three, two, one. GO!”

Maria tore the door handle open and rolled forward into the howling high altitude winds, spreading her legs and free arm to stabilize herself as she fell through the night sky. She glanced around to spot Shirabe and Chris, expertly sticking close to her in their freefall. The wind whipped at her face, tossing her long pink hair up.

For a moment, Maria remembered that one time when the Illuminatis attacked her and Tsubasa, when they were coming into land. She remembered how Tsubasa had caught her at the end. And she blushed a little at the memory of the strong arms holding her.

Then she shook her head. Maria couldn’t let the past distract her. Below, a cluster of growing, glowing dots marked out the industrial zone where the Horsemen’s base lay. Maria thought she could feel the currents of electricity feeding them.

As if at some unspoken signal, the three falling girls sang.

_“Kiliter Ichaival tron.”  
_ _“Seilien coffin Airgetlamh tron.”  
_ _“Various Shul Shagana tron.”_

\----

**Next Chapter: **Draw The Heavens

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original intent for this chapter was that it’d be the internet video interview and then the next battle. That was before the interview turned into a 6.6K word monster of a scene. Gotta keep in mind for future “press events” that sorta thing will be happening. So sadly, I’mma have to postpone the ass kicking for one more chapter.


	30. Draw The Heavens

**Distortions  
** **Chapter 30:  
** **Draw The Heavens**

\----

Xiao Yuan was half-asleep. He couldn’t help it. Though this job paid pretty well, it was boring as all get out and… well, it was the _night shift_ for pity’s sake. The Mongol town was in the sticks to begin with and being stuck in an industrial district on the outer-edge did nothing to improve his mood.

So here he was, leaning back in a chair in front of the containers he was supposed to look after. An old box TV was set-up for his viewing pleasure, even if nothing good was on. Xiao had settled on some stupid cheap-ass drama set in the Three Kingdoms period, as if there weren’t already a gajillion of those, but he couldn’t even pretend to be engaged in it.

“_Fuck’s sake,_” He thought. “_Can’t anything exciting ever happen here?_”

Apparently, the Heavens must have been listening to his thoughts, because it was at that moment that he was shocked awake as a series of alarms and sirens started blaring. Xiao was so braindead by that point that his first reaction was to topple over in his chair. His second was to scramble to his feet, drawing his piece.

It took a few seconds for him to realize that all the wailing was coming from beyond the fence, across the street. It was that big-ass compound the boss said they were supposed to leave the hell alone, lest the mean looking mercenary motherfuckers who were their security would come down on them. Xiao could only stare dumbly as some strange red cloud roiled up over the complex and tracer fire streaked upward at some sort of unseen target.

They had some big-ass weapons too. Xiao served some time in the PLA in his youth and he knew the sounds of autocannons and machine guns. And the white streaks of fire that shot up skyward… they had motherfucking missiles? How the hell did a shipping company’s security get their hands on guided missiles?

Then, as if to just make things weirder, a trio of colored streaks fell out of the sky: red, silver, and pink. They dropped down out of view beyond the compound walls, the tracer rounds and missiles tracking after them all the way. Then Xiao heard the music. A hard rock tune that managed to echo clearly over the increasing weapons fire. It seemed to resonate with his soul.

He stared for a long time, stupefied and unsure what to do. Then a good section of that compound’s wall _erupted _spectacularly, the shattered hulk of a motherfucking _main battle tank _flipping through it and down atop the chain link fence just a couple of meters away. That shook Xiao out of his funk and he quickly scrambled towards the cover of one of the containers, yanking out his cell. No way this wasn’t gonna bring the attention of the Interior Ministry’s paramilitary troops, if not the fucking army, and the boss was gonna want to know the authorities would be snooping in close proximity to the goods.

—

“_A discount sale of lead bullets just for you, as there is nothing that cures stupidity  
It's time for the rodeo, baby; the pistol fire party is starting, so get yourself dancing._”

Chris wasn’t sure why the Horsemen kept bothering. Staples manned heavy weapons and Automen took up firing positions only for **_Billion Maiden_** to blast them apart before they could get more than a few rounds off. Sometimes, she tore them apart before they could even fire. Her position behind Maria and Shirabe as they led gave her plenty of time to pick her targets and blast them apart.

Then an armored personnel carrier appeared, already firing on her. Chris staggered as its rounds impacted her. Those weren’t the usual autocannon rounds, those wouldn’t have even budged her. Motherfuckers had replaced them with rapid-fire coilguns!

Rolling out of the line of fire, Chris walked her guns over the vehicle. At least its armor was still thin enough for Billion Maiden to punch right through, as the vehicle was thoroughly perforated before finally detonating when a round found a fuel tank.

“_If you wanna file your complaints to the world,  
You better get outta my range first.  
Neither God, Buddha, nor I will allow that._”

Airgetlamh flashed as Maria led up front, tearing apart Staples and Automen. She forced herself to ignore the way blood splashed at the former, to repress the memories of the Skytree. Instead, she focused on the enemies in front of her as their weapon flashed. She couldn’t outright dodge the coilguns and grasers from the automen, but so long as she paid attention to their movements she could throw off their aim, which worked just as well.

The Staples’ small arms fire, on the other hand, were completely ignorable. Maria quickly elected to mostly disregard the clones so long as they weren’t manning any heavy weapons, leaving them for Chris and Shirabe to mop-up. Conventional firearms just were not a threat to them.

“_Can even someone who gouged out her own wounds,  
And pretended to not have been crying (Trust Heart),  
Become good at supporting and laughing with others?_”

The railgun-armed main battle tank which burst out of the large cargo container to her left as she ran past it, on the other hand, was more of an issue. Maria barely had enough to react as the massive armored behemoth tried to run her down. She may not be on Hibiki’s level, but physically Maria was the second strongest on the team and she demonstrated that now, pounding down on the tank’s front hull.

The armor crumpled like tinfoil under the pinkette’s fist, the whole vehicle flipping up and over. As it descended on her, Maria followed up with a jab with all her power right onto the top of the gun mantlet, a proud product of hours of boxing practice with Commander Ogawa. Maria expected the tank to be merely smashed back down in an inoperable ruin, but instead the vehicle folded under the blow and was sent hurtling across the cargo yard, crashing through the compound’s perimeter wall.

Maria stared for a moment after that. That had been… that was something more on the level of one of Hibiki’s rocket punches then her own usual jabs. What the-?

The burning impact of a graser searing into her side caused Maria to hiss and flinch. She whirled around on instinct, Airgetlamh extending out to vertically bisect the offending Automen. As she plunged back into the fighting, Maria mentally chastised herself for getting distracted by something whose answer was obvious. She had to watch her strength as Sumphonia was clearly affecting it. It was the only explanation she could think of.

“_The politeness I'm unused to and a downpour of bullets,  
I'm gonna be throwing both of them at you (Trust heart).  
Only the hand connected to mine,  
Told me of the strength needed to protect smiles._”

Shirabe whipped her yo-yos through a series of bushes that had been planted between the broad cargo and loading bays, systematically flushing out the Staples that were using them as concealment. The most mobile of the three, she was constantly in motion: jinking, kiting, and suddenly changing direction constantly to avoid any of the heavier munitions tracking in on her. She was thus the first to see the company of tanks roll out of the bushes in line formation, heading directly for Chris, their railguns tracking in on her.

“Chris-senpai!” Shirabe called, as she transferred onto her **_Forbidden Full Moon_** monowheel. Her shout caught Chris’s attention just in time. The Ichaival wielder’s eyes widened as she caught sight of no less than _twelve _railguns locking in on her.

“Oh _shit_!” She shouted as she leapt forward just before the tanks fired in unison. As it was, the close passage of so many rounds all at once tossed her off her feet, forcing her into roll. A warehouse beyond her simply vanished into a pall of dust debris as it took the volley instead. Swinging around as she came to her feet, the compartments at Chris’s hips popped open to unleash a **_MegaDeth Party _**of missiles.

She had to concentrate her fire to overcome their point-defense systems, so only around a half-dozen of the tanks took the barrage of missiles and blew up. Taking to her feet, Chris leapt and moved to prevent the tanks from trying to track in on her, desperately counting down in her head until MegaDeth Party reloaded.

A moment later, Shirabe’s monowheel-saw slammed into one of the tanks on the end of the line closest to her. The exotic composite armor howled as the blades bit into it, instantly detracking the vehicle.

It held for a couple seconds longer than one of the APC’s armor would have, but in the end Shirabe burst through, setting off something in the tank’s electrical system that caused it to erupt in a ball of fire. She emerged on the other side only to find that the next tank in line had swung its railgun around onto her. Finding herself staring right down the forked end of its barrel. Shirabe was close enough that she could see the electromagnets glowing as the vehicle made ready to fire.

Then another barrage of MegaDeth Party flew in and the tank took one of the rockets square in the side of it’s turret. Smoke erupted from all the compartments and the glow of the railgun died. Pulling herself out of her monowheel, Shirabe glanced over in the direction the rockets had come from. Chris offered her a jaunty salute before turning and blowing away a squad of Staples trying to move in behind Maria to set-up a missile launcher.

Shirabe smiled momentarily and shook her head before accelerating away. She really was blessed to have such a reliable senpai.

_“Long-range or short-range, it doesn't matter  
So long as these hit you.  
It's a base-filled homerun, so start praying,  
Let me look cool, baby!”_

Systematically, the three worked their way around the complex, moving from loading bay to loading bay, warehouse to warehouse. Horsemen armor shattered under their more fearsome attacks while automen and heavy weapons platforms were scattered by their mid-range assaults. The Staple squads were almost an afterthought, blasted into bloody chunks.

And as the fight raged on the surface, a hidden escalator deep beneath the earth ferried its cargo upwards to the battlefield above.

—  
  
[P-108 Order Received]  
  
[TACCOM Protocol Revision. Automen Concept-8 Field Test Commencing. Data Sensors Engaged.]  
  
[Preliminary Checks:  
  
NRS: Status Green  
Flight Modules: Status Green  
Mobility: Status Green  
Secondary Weapons: Status Green  
Main Weapons: Status Green  
Aparras System: Status Green  
Fusion Drive: Status Green  
  
Checks Complete, Initiating Drive Boot-Up]  
  
—

As seemed to be the standard when fighting the Horsemen’s forces, the end of the fight was quite sudden. Maria tore apart an Automen trying to track on Shirabe and looked around for another target only to find nothing but bodies, pieces of bodies, wrecked armored vehicles, and smashed cargo containers whose contents were spread across the last loading bay. In the aftermath of the storm of weapons fire, the sudden silence seemed strange.

The pinkette turned to her friends and saw Shirabe sliding up alongside Chris, who had picked up one of the contents from one of the blown open cargo containers, an even smaller wooden crate. Sheathing Airgetlamh, she walked over to join them.

The box was labelled “8mm Ferromagnetic-Tungsten”. Maria supposed it was coilgun ammo.

“Munitions.” Chris muttered, glancing back up and around the wrecked loading bay. “Lotsa storage, but nothing for manufacturing. Or data centers.”

“They did say they believed this was a transportation center.” Maria reasoned. “They probably ship weapons in and out to where their forces need them.” She reached up to fiddle with her communicator. “I’ll call headquarters and report the site is secured. In the meantime, we should do some searching ourselves in the warehouses. Look for offices, particularly anything that looks like shipping manifests.”

“Got it!” Chris and Shirabe affirmed, taking off for the nearest building.

“HQ?” Maria asked into her communicator. “This is Maria, how do you read?”

“Loud and clear, Maria.” Tomosato answered. “We see you’ve secured the area.”

“Yes. Tell the Chinese-” Maria cut herself off as her head came around, fixating on the warehouse Chris and Shirabe were heading for. Immediately she took after them, shouting. “You two! Hold up!”

“Maria?” Commander Ogawa asked in confusion through her headset.

“Huh, what?” Chris’s head came around as Maria jogged up them, Shirabe and her pausing. But it was when Maria drew Airgetlamh again as she came to a halt, her eyes still fixated on the warehouse that Chris tensed herself.

“What is it?” Shirabe asked, her yo-yos appearing in her hand.

“Something’s coming.” Maria answered, “It feels hot. Like the sun.”

“Huh?” Chris glanced over even as she levelled her crossbows. “The sun? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Maria’s face scrunched up as she tried to find a coherent answer but before she could, something big blasted up out of the roof of the warehouse. They leapt back as it descended upon them, smashing down where they stood, the earth trembling slightly under the impact of a mass of armor. Landing with their weapons raised, the three adaptors took in their new foe.

More than five and a half meters tall, a solid metal carapace mounted atop two solid armored legs. A pair of bulky missile racks rested on either shoulder above a pair of jet intakes. Extending from to either side, a pair of gun arms ended in a graser on the right and a triple-barrelled rotary railgun on the left. A small “head” jutted out forward from the center of the armored body with a chin mounted coilgun. And from just below that, a swivelling cannon jutted from the chest, pointing right at the group and crackling with green energy that Chris found more than a little familiar.

“MOVE!” Maria shouted as she _felt_ the energy surge and they all leapt away just in time as the energy cannon fired, rocking the entire mini-mech’s body with its recoil. The green beam traversed the distance in a second, a great gout of fire erupting up where the Symphogears had stood, crackling a little with static discharge.

“Headquarters, are you seeing this?!” Maria shouted into her comms as she landed, Airgetlamh held up.

“Yes!” Elfnein reported. “That energy weapon! It’s-”

“Yeah, I know!” Chris cut the alchemist off as she levelled her crossbows from atop one of the intact containers and fired, only to see the energy arrows dash themselves against it’s armor. There was no way she could forget the thing that came closest of anything else to killing her. “It’s the same type of particle beam as Kadingir!”

“Yes!” Elfnein continued. “Its power source is vastly inferior to Durandal and the components are smaller, so the beam is correspondingly weaker... but a direct hit would still be bad!”

The mini-mech turned with surprising speed for something so ungainly looking, raising its rotary railgun and bringing the weapon to bear on Chris, the barrels already spinning. Chris quickly leapt away as the guns flashed with blue electricity and the container didn’t so much as explode as disintegrated under the barrage of fire. It’s chin-mounted coilgun swivelled off in another direction as it fired on Shirabe, who darted away with her heelys, zig-zagging to avoid the fire as best she could.

With the mini-mech’s attention on her comrades, Maria dashed in to strike at the obvious target: the machine’s legs. Putting as much power as she could into the swing, she slashed out with Airgetlamh. There was a double sonic boom as the blade broke the sound barrier, a crackling **_Fierce†Star _**of energy blasting the armored foot in front of her. The entire thing blew away, but Maria frowned as she registered that the destruction seemed **_too _**clean.

The robot listed, almost toppling over, but with a whine of jets it almost immediately halted its fall and lifted skyward. Small rocket bursts fired from what seemed a frankly excessive number of joint thrusters to keep it stable as it flew backwards away from the pinkette. Maria’s frown hardened into a scowl as she watched a familiar black mass swirl down the robot’s leg, flowing down to morph into a new foot before seemingly dispersing into the air, leaving the machine looking as good as new.

“It’s got a fucking nanite repair system! Like the White Noises’ suits!” Chris swore. Her missile compartments popped open to send another MegaDeth Party after the flying mech. But the machine lifted its graser arm and a sweep of violet light was followed by a cascade of explosions as it blew the missiles apart.

“I’m tracking data from your Gears!” Elfnein reported. “Based on the hit Maria delivered, the machine’s components are more modular than it seems. It’s designed so that if one any given section takes damage, it’ll be confined to that section and the others won’t be affected.”

“And any section that is destroyed can be replaced by the nanites.” Maria summarized, darting away as the hovering machine tried to bring it’s rotary-railguns to bear on her, shredding the ground just a step behind her. “We have to deliver a hit to a critical component!”

“Great!” Chris shouted back as she sprayed the machine with Billion Maiden, only to watch as the dents she managed to hammer out in the armor were repaired within a second. “So where the fuck are those?!”

“They’d be…” Maria trailed off as she realized the answer. The only plausible area would be the robot's main body, but it’d be buried amidst all the other components. She thought quickly: they’d need an attack that would either be able to pierce multiple components at once, or one that would continuously inflict damage so it would destroy the components in quick succession before they could be repaired.

A unison attack could do both and was technically possible, but the output increase would risk a backlash at the current level of Anti-LiNKER exposure. Maria had attacks that could do the former, but they were locked behind higher outputs. And the only one of them here who was specialized to do the latter was...

“Shirabe!” Maria shouted. “Follow me, I’m going to try and force it down to the ground! Be ready with your sawblades when it lands!”

“Right!” Shirabe affirmed, swerving in to fall in alongside Maria as the pinkette turned to close the distance with the mech. In her hand, Airgetlamh began to glow. Together they zig-zagged in, ducking and weaving to avoid the barrage of railgun rounds.

Then the barrage abruptly stopped as the robot turned directly towards the charging duo, the mini-Kadingir on its “chest” swivelling towards them as it crackled with electricity.

“Oh, no you-FUCK!” Chris charged in from her own angle, intending to release her reflectors. If they degraded the original Kadingir then they’d certainly block against whatever cheap imitation the Horsemen were working with.

But the missile pod covers on the mech’s shoulders popped open as she began to move, a barrage of rockets streaking out and making a hard turn right for the Ichaival wielder. Chris found herself having to abort as she switched to her gatlings to fend off the storm of missiles, suddenly forced onto the defensive.

Maria swore to herself as she saw the cannon nearing its firing state. She quickly did some mental calculations based on the surging energy she could feel from both Airgetlamh’s blade and the mini-Kadingir. “Change of plans, Shirabe! Run protection!”

“Maria?” Shirabe’s head turned in astonishment. “Shul-Shagana can’t handle that much-”

“I know!” Maria said, pointing the glowing Airgetlamh up at the mech. “Please, trust me!”

Shirabe clicked her teeth and nodded, her hair-compartments unfolding and expanding the **_Friction Blades_**. The saw-arms turned the blades so they faced horizontally between herself and the robot, shielding Maria as well. A moment later, the robot’s mini-Kadingir fired, the machine rocking slightly at the recoil. Another moment, and Maria’s own Airgetlamh blade released a torrential purple beam of light like a **_Judgement†Strike_**.

At the same time, the mini-Kadingir struck Shirabe’s blades. They only held for an instant before breaking, and Shirabe staggered at the kinetic recoil of the sawblades shattering. The green beam thundered on, slamming into the purple one fired by Maria.

On paper, even with its vastly reduced power compared to the original thing, Maria’s Judgement†Strike didn’t have the oomf to overcome the mini-Kadingir beam. It would have been a contest, but in the end Judgement†Strike should have been overwhelmed with minimal difficulty.

But then, the cannon’s beam had _already _expended a fair bit of its power busting through Shirabe’s saw blade shield.

Purple overcame green as Judgement†Strike struggled back up against the mini-Kadingir, tearing its way upward to plunge right into the barrel. Through the mech's various sensors, Red Unit saw what was coming but couldn’t do anything about it. All available power was already devoted either to the Aparras cannon or just keeping the Concept-8 stabilized in hover.

The Judgement†Strike’s laser tore up the mini-Kadingir barrel, straight all the way into the mech’s fusion drive. The robot shuddered with the impact, sparking and twitching before it detonated spectacularly, chunks of superheated exotic armor shearing away in all directions. Still intact cargo containers flipped end over end at the blast, slamming down to have their contents likewise swept up and flung about.

The shockwave slammed into Maria and Shirabe with just as much force. The pinkette only had enough time to leap in front of the smaller girl to catch her when the blast hit. Letting herself get blown away by the shockwave, Maria grabbed Shirabe as she impacted the youngest adapter, twisting around so she took the brunt of the fall. The roar of the blast was like a truck of fireworks crashing into a nitroglycerin factory.

As the noise of the explosion faded, Chris shook her head to clear the ringing in her ear drums. Even by the Ichaival wielder’s standards, that had been loud. She noted glowing hot pieces of the robot armor laying on the ground as she walked towards where Maria was still hugging Shirabe protectively, both adaptors still a bit disoriented from their proximity to the blast.

“Yo!” Chris called to get their attention. “You two alright?”

Shirabe blinked a few times, then flashed the silverette a silent thumbs-up.

—

Maria kicked the door off its hinges, Airgetlamh held at the ready as she charged in. No gunfire lashed out at her, so she waved in the squad of PLA soldiers stacked up outside. The Chinese infantry swept in, securing positions amidst the office cubicle. In the next room behind them, suited SONG agents were already inspecting everything with a fine-toothed comb, looking for the evidence they needed.

The PLA had arrived, with agents in tow, several minutes after the adaptors had blown up the mech, but it turned out there were still pockets of Staples in the warehouses who stayed hidden during the battle so they could ambush the inspection teams. After some casualties among PLA engineers checking for booby traps Maria and Chris thus took it upon themselves to help the infantry fully secure the complex. Similarly, Shirabe found herself on the perimeter, ferreting out and destroying hidden “pop-up” gun turrets that hadn’t joined in the battle in order to make life more difficult.

The room Maria was currently in was plainly one of the offices. Empty cubicles were everywhere, along with neatly stacked reports and clipboards. This was the last room in the warehouse she hadn’t cleared and Maria did have the training to do some inspection, so she decided to take a moment to look for potentially useful evidence.

Sheathing Airgetlamh, Maria walked up to one of the desks to inspect an apparent stack of manifests. She flipped through it before throwing it down in disgust. Even just glancing at them, Maria could tell they were forgeries, just convincing enough that the employees who weren’t “in the know” would never suspect what was actually being shipped around.

Glancing around, Maria’s eyes alighted on a series of safes in one particularly large cubicle against the wall, with a plaque next to it labelled “Manager” in both Mandarin and English. Walking up to them, Maria didn’t even bother drawing Airgetlamh again: she simply tore the small combination-locked doors off one of the safes wholesale and grabbed the papers out. Only to scowl again as she found herself looking at company financial reports.

Then the pinkette paused, her head turning back to the safe as a thought occurred to her. Leaning down, she reached an arm in and felt around the back of the safe. There was a soft _click _and Maria smiled victoriously. Jackpot.

The clipboard she pulled out was entirely in Mandarin, but she could tell just at a glance that it was the real deal and not another bunch of bogus forgeries.

“Ma’am…” A voice behind her asked and Maria turned to find that several SONG agents had arrived to confiscate and catalogue everything. One of them had noticed her rooting around and approached. “Did you find something?”

“Yes. Prioritize this for the Intelligence Director.” Maria answered, handing the manifest over to them. Then she nodded to the safes. “When you crack the rest of these, make sure to inspect the backs for false walls.”

Outside, Shirabe threw out a hand to stop the PLA troops following her, eyes narrowing as she scanned a series of shrubs along the perimeter wall. Then seemingly without warning, one of the shrubs opened fire on them, the rounds aimed not at Shirabe, but at the accompanying troops.

A regular human could never have reacted in time to the machine gun rounds, but empowered by Sul-Shagana’s phonic gain, Shirabe’s reflexes were beyond human. In an instant one of her sawblades extended, flipping around to interrupt the incoming gunfire, the bullets sparking off the blades harmlessly. Simultaneously, she lashed out with her yo-yo’s, carving up the bush and the gun all at once.

The pieces of the weapon all clattered to the ground by the time the soldiers realized they were under fire. Shirabe heard one of them curse in amazement and glanced over her shoulder at him. The soldier had the grace to look embarrassed and bashful, but Shirabe just shrugged to indicate it was okay. She had honestly heard worse from Chris before.

Returning her attention forward, Shirabe resumed skidding, pulling out ahead of the infantry squad enough that they wouldn’t get caught up in the blast if she hit a mine or something. But that was the last gun turret she saw before they came back to where she had started the sweep: a hole in the perimeter wall, which Shirabe recalled Maria had created by punching one of the Horsemen’s tanks through it.

She had been a bit busy at the time to really contemplate that, but now that she was staring at the wreck just beyond the wall, Shirabe took the time to consider what a feat that was even given their Symphogears capabilities. At the current combination, punching a tank hard enough to send it flying wasn’t something she recalled Maria as being capable of doing before. Even Hibiki had to use one of her specialized gauntlets to achieve something like that.

There was only one potential explanation for where the extra strength came from. At that thought, Shirabe glanced down at her hands. Physically speaking, she was the weakest of all the adaptors. It came with her small stature, but it wasn’t something that ever bothered her before. Now though, she wondered: just what would they be capable of, once they fully became Sumphonia?

Shaking her head at the unanswerable question, Shirabe began to turn away. But a flash of green just beyond the wreck caught her attention and she paused to look closer. Shirabe hadn’t noticed it before, but the tank wreck hadn’t just busted through the perimeter wall. It had also been thrown across the street, where it tore a hole in the perimeter fence to another series of outdoor storage bays with containers.

Just beyond the tank standing in front of a series of containers, she could see a pair of men discussing something. One man wore a security guard’s uniform and appeared to be explaining something to the other, gesturing across the street. The other man, however, wore a hastily thrown-on business suit, quite rumpled.

Normally, Shirabe would have just shrugged and not given them another glance. It was outside the Horsemen’s compound, thus it wasn’t something she had to worry about. But as she looked at the men, something prodded at her. Something… felt wrong about them. She just couldn’t place _what_.

“Adaptor Tsukuyomi?” The voice of the squad leader of PLA troops tore Shirabe’s attention away from the men. She looked over to see the soldier standing formally and stiffly, but looking somewhat concerned. “Is everything alright?”

Shirabe considered the question for a moment. “Probably, yes.” She turned to look back across the street, then shook her head. This was just bothering her too much. “If anyone from SONG asks for me, tell them I’m across the street from the hole in the wall.”

Before the soldier could ask for clarification, Shirabe took off through the hole, quickly rolling across the street. The two men noticed her approach as she slid around the wreckage of the tank, both of them turning and their eyes widening in shock and amazement as her aura hit them. “Good evening.” She said evenly, glancing between them.

“I… you’re…” The man in the business suit barely seemed able to recover. “You’re Symphogear Pink.”

Shirabe turned to him and sighed. “I am Shirabe Tsukuyomi, yes.”

The man’s eyes darted from Shirabe to the “security guard” and then back. He smiled genially, but Shirabe could see the bead of sweat down her face. “Erm… and your business with us is?”

“I noticed you two across the street from an operation I am… assisting in.” Shirabe replied, her voice growing even as her eyes hardened into one of her stares. “What are you doing here?”

“With respect, Miss Tsukuyomi.” The security guard said. “I’m afraid this is private property and we are under no obligations to answer that question.”

Shirabe turned to look at the man, but she noticed that the guard had positioned himself in front of one stack of cargo containers. He had taken to leaning against it casually but…

“What is in that container?” Shirabe asked.

The guard flinched, blinking and shaking his head. “T-that’s none of your business.”

“Oh, really?” Shirabe’s eyes narrowed. She rolled right up to him. He was easily a head taller than Maria, but nevertheless he shivered under her gaze. She noted how his hand went for a pistol on his belt.

“Now listen here!” The man in the business suit quickly interjected. “We’ve done nothing to you and-”

“What is in the container?” Shirabe repeated, cutting him off. She hadn’t raised her voice at all nor had her tone changed. Yet both men shifted uncomfortably, a wave of guilt washing over them. Finally, Shirabe shook her head. “Move aside. I’m checking it myself.”

“Ma’am, you can’t do that!” The guard quickly objected, but he was trembling. “I’m telling you, this is-”

Shirabe interrupted him by reaching out and pushing him. Despite his immense size advantage, he stumbled and staggered back several feet before falling over completely. Shirabe coldly glanced over to the man in the business suit who seemed frozen in fear and disbelief. She pursed her lips, reached for the containers door, and-

“Yo, other kid!” Chris called as she stepped past the perimeter fence, a pair of SONG agents and a Chinese Major trailing after her. “We’re done across the street so why are you…” She trailed off as she took in the scene. “What the hell is going on?”

“These men are up to something, senpai.” Shirabe answered.

At the same time, the security guard burst out. “She came in here with these baseless accusations and assaulted me!”

Shirabe scowled over at him.

“What?” The PLA Major seemed confused, but his eyes hardened as he looked over at Shirabe. “Adaptor Tsukuyomi, explain yourself.”

“Look,” One of the SONG agents said. Shirabe actually recognized him as being one of the ones on her security team. “Tsukuyomi-san is-”

“I was asking for an explanation from Adaptor Tsukuyomi, not you.” The Major snapped, rounding on the man. “Assaulting Chinese citizens on baseless accusations is-”

“Hey, woah! Timeout!” Chris held up her hands. “I know my kouhai and she ain’t the type to just go shoving people around for no good reason. She has serious issues with people who _do _do that.” With that said, the silverette turned back to Shirabe, placing her hands on her hips. “Look, what’d you think they’re up to?”

Shirabe paused, her mouth opening and closing. She… didn’t have an answer for that. She could feel that something was wrong, in her bones. The two men were trying to deceive her, deflect her. But she didn’t know what was wrong.

Chris frowned as seconds passed and Shirabe didn’t speak. Then she sighed and began to walk forward. “Hey, alright. If there’s nothing you-”

Quickly, Shirabe seized the doors to the cargo container and tore them off their hinges, tossing aside the steel hatches with a clang that made everyone jump. The PLA Major swore and reached for his sidearm but stopped as a series of cries echoed out of the container. The voices sounded… very young.

“What the hell was that?” Chris asked tightly, her eyes swinging onto the business suit man.

“Well, erm…” He began, but Shirabe didn’t give him a chance to speak any further. She reached out and hit a light switch just inside the container. She gasped as it lit up then quickly scooted aside a little so everyone else could see in as well.

There were around a dozen children huddled towards the back of the container, mostly girls but also a few boys, chained to the ground by their hands and legs. Empty cups and dirty plates lay scattered around the floor. Their clothes were tattered and filthy. They stared out the entrance, eyes wide with terror and confusion.

Chris’s blood seemed to ice over in her veins. The confused and terrified faces, the despairing looks in the children’s eyes, the bruises on their skin… the horrible familiarity was far, far too much. For a moment, it was as if time had frozen as all the wretched memories of that awful period of her life came crashing down on her.

“T-that’s-” The man in the business suit tried again. “I-uh, I knew no-”

“_You sick **fuck**!_” Chris whirled on the child slaver, seizing him by his suit and slamming him down on the ground, her face red with rage. “Did you drag them out here?! Didn’t you hear their cries?! Hear them beg you to stop?!”

The man cried out, and not just from the fear. Her grip on him felt _cold_, a freezing touch that seemed to be spreading through his body. He shuddered and when he next exhaled, his breath was visible.

“Chris-senpai-” Shirabe stepped forward, but she stopped, shivering as the intense drop in temperature hit her. Wait, that didn’t make any sense. It wasn’t that cold and her Symphogear could keep her warm, so why...

“Did you care?! No, of course not! I know your type: You were going to pimp them out, weren’t you?!“ Chris screamed. As she raged, something inside her threatened to creep out. Her eyes shimmered, a glowing spark within them growing bright as she glared at the man. Frost appeared on the ground, as Chris’s aura shifted, the ethereal feeling warping.

Even Shirabe noticed it, that something seemed to be… breaking through.

“You’re fucking scum!” If Chris noticed, she gave no indication. Instead, she seemed to be growing angrier, as if she was being consumed by an eternal, raging winter. “You’re no fucking different than the Horsemen! **It’d** **be better if I-!**”

“_Chris-senpai!_” Shirabe shouted at the top of her lungs. She didn’t know what was happening, but everything was screaming at her that it wasn’t good.

Chris’s rant stumbled to a halt at the cry, the Ichaival wielder’s head coming around in confusion. And just like that, it was as if the spell broke. The frost, the sudden temperature difference, the rage all just… vanished.

“What the…” One of the SONG agents murmured, shaking his head. “What just happened?” The reversion was so abrupt, he found himself unsure it even happened.

“Senpai, are you okay?” Shirabe asked, quickly skating up alongside Chris.

Chris stared at the younger girl for a few moments in disorientation, then she shook her head and let the suited man go, dropping him against the ground. Rising to her feet, she glanced at the Major and jabbed a finger into the cargo container. “Is that good enough _fucking _suspicion for ya?”

“I…” The Major glanced from Chris, to the cargo container, then to the man on the ground shivering in his ragged business suit. The security guard had also gotten up, but during Chris’s rage had pressed his back to the container in fear. The Major was a fair bit more concerned with whatever _the hell_ just happened, but the obviousness of the crime in front of him was too much to ignore. “I can detain them until the police arrive to arrest them, yes.”

“Good.” She snapped, turning to walk into the cargo container.

“Senpai-” Shirabe reached out, but Chris jerked away at that. Then immediately she glanced down as she noticed the worry in Shirabe’s eyes.

“Hey… I’m…” She admitted aloud. “I don’t know what that was either. But I’m okay now, I promise just let me...” Her eyes rose up and she stared into the container, at the children silently watching the commotion. “Let me help them.”

Shirabe considered that for a moment, then quietly nodded. Chris shot her kouhai a grateful smile then stepped into the container. The children stared at her, eyes still wide with awe and a little bit of fear as she approached.

“Hey…” Chris murmured softly, “It’s okay. Everything’s fine now. We’ll get you home.”

“You’re Symphogear Red aren’t you?” One of the children spoke up, sounding as if she could hardly believe it. Chris blinked as she realized that though her communicator was translating what they said, they weren’t speaking Chinese. That was Mongolian.

Fuckers were smuggling child slaves from Mongolia. Or maybe they were from the local Mongolian minority? Chris’s heart ached as she considered their plight. Were they orphans like her or did they have parents desperately hoping for their return?

“Yeah.” She replied as she walked forward, but she stopped when the children instinctively flinched away. Pressing into corners or trying to sink down as much as possible. So Chris stopped and sat down. “My real name is Chris Yukine, though.” She said, keeping her voice low. “What is yours?”

The girl shifted, “Sarantuya. Sarantuya Jochi.”

“That’s a pretty name.” Chris remarked. “I can break the chains off of you. I can make sure no one ever puts you in them again. May I get closer?”

The kid hesitated for a moment, before nodding and proffering her shackled hands. Standing up, Chris slowly approached her, holding her hands out placatingly. Closing the distance.

With deceptive gentleness, Chris kneeled down in front of Jochi, took her handcuffs with both hands, and pried them open. With her Symphogear endowed strength, first one then the other cuff came apart easily in a brief squeal of metal. Then she reached down and snapped the chain between the girls feet. She glanced around, “Anyone else?”

“Jochi...” Another kid asked, “Who… who is she?”

Jochi glanced over at the other girl. “Ah, right, you’ve been in here for that long Chotan. She’s a superhero! The Symphogears.” Quickly the girl turned back, her eyes shining with hope. “There’s seven of them and they’ve saved the world before! I… I hoped you’d come.”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Chris blushed lightly, but refrained from her first instinct to correct the kid. She still wasn’t sure whether she was comfortable with being a hero, but if what these children needed was a hero then she’d be happy to serve. “Symphogear Red, as you said. Pink and Silver are here too.”

“Really?!” A third child gasped excitedly. “I thought that was Pink!”

Chotan, however, didn’t look quite so comforted. “What… what was that thing that you did with The Man? It felt… cold.”

Chris blinked for a moment before she realized that “The Man” was probably the business suited fuck that was being arrested outside. “I don’t know.” She answered honestly. “I saw all of ya and…” She bowed her head to hide her scowl. “I got so angry at what happened to you that I sorta lashed out at him.”

“He… he won’t hurt us because of that, will he?” Another kid asked, fear in his voice.

“No.” Chris said instantly, letting some bite back into her voice. “I’ll make sure he won’t ever hurt you again. _Nobody _will hurt you. I promise you that.”

The boy remained silent, then he offered up his manacles like Jochi did, the other children quickly following his lead. Chris moved among each of them, quietly asking each of their names as she broke their cuffs. Sarantuya. Chotan. Nekhii. Nogai. Temulun. Ogal. Names that Chris committed to memory as she quietly repeated her assurances: you’re free now. You’re okay now. You’re safe now. I’m here for you. She let the awe and gushing just roll over her, still unsure how to handle that.

Like someone did for her once.

Outside, Shirabe silently watched as Chris freed the children at the entrance. Watched as they gathered around the Ichaival wielder, peppering her with questions about her armor. Watched as Chris buried her usual confident and rough airs underneath a layer of kindness.

Behind Shirabe the Major slapped handcuffs on the business suited Chinese man. One of the SONG agents covered the security guard with his sidearm as the other relieved the guard of his weapon and likewise cuffed the man as an obvious accomplice.

But Shirabe barely paid them any mind. Her eyes were on her senpai, still smiling softly as the children all eagerly tried to introduce themselves to her. It should have been heartwarming. But Shirabe couldn’t help but think back to that rage she had seen. It had been angry, yes. But it was a cold anger. More of a rage. And it felt nothing like the mindlessness of berserk mode… or Ignite, which had near enough been the same thing as far as their auras were concerned.

But the bottom line was that Shirabe felt as if they had just narrowly dodged a bullet.

“Hey guys, I gotta talk with… some army men who helped me find you.” Chris ruffled the hair of one of the girls standing next to her, then glanced up, meeting eyes with Shirabe, asking a silent question. Shirabe blinked a few times, then nodded back. “Would you like to meet Symphogear Pink?”

At that prompting, Shirabe cleared her throat. That brought the children’s attention to her, and Shirabe saw the way they froze in a mix of excitement and anxiety. So she clasped her hands in front of her and bowed. “Hello, I’m Shirabe Tsukuyomi. But I guess you know me better as Symphogear Pink. It’s nice to meet you.”

That did the trick. At the polite, quiet greeting, the children’s anxiety melted away. They moved to crowd around Shirabe, a few of them poking at her heelys.

Chris caught the Shul-Shagana wielder's eye as she passed back out the cargo container door and nodded her thanks. Shirabe shrugged back. What else were friends for?

The two child slavers were now sitting up against the chain link fence, their hands cuffed behind their back and the SONG agents keeping an eye on them. The Major was talking into a radio and Chris turned to beeline for him. As she approached, he lowered his radio and turned back. “The police are on their way. I promise you, Adaptor Yukine, these men will be prosecuted-”

“No.” Chris cut him off, to his surprise. The man blinked, but Chris bulled right on. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m glad their asses are gonna be tossed in jail. But they’re not my primary concern.” She jerked a thumb towards the container where Shirabe was gently leading the children out like a schoolteacher with her class. “_They_ are.”

The officer glanced between her and the kids puzzled. “The children will be taken care of, of course.” He said. “We’ll get them clothes, shelter, try to arrange transport-”

“I don’t think you understand.” Chris growled. The officer stared at her in confusion, causing Chris to sigh and pinch her nose with her fingers, restraining herself. Exploding on him wouldn’t do anything but hurt SONG’s relations with China nor help these kids. If she had to raise hell and use her rep, she’d do so. But she could tell that wasn’t the approach to use here. “Look… do _you _have any kids?”

“Yes.” The Major answered. “I have a son.”

“Imagine he was one of them.” Chris continued. “Imagine if he was rescued. Which would you rather have? That they just toss him some food, throw him in some place to live, and get him the hell off their hands as soon as they can? Or that they actually care for him, are there to reassure his concerns, and try to make sure he’s not just healthy but also _okay_?”

The Major stared at her. His eyes drifted over to the line of children and then back to Chris, who could see the gears turning in his head. Finally, his expression turned grave and he nodded. “I swear, on my honor as a Major of the People’s Liberation Army: I will look after these children.”

“Thank you.” Chris breathed, nodding and turning back. “Then perhaps it is best you get to know them…”

\----

“Right…” Ogawa said, looking as tired as Shirabe and Maria felt despite his usual poise. “Let’s keep this quick so we all can finally get some sleep.”

Chris and Ichaival were both getting a check-up with Elfnein following the report of her outburst and the unusual… manifestation that had accompanied it. That left just Shinji, Tomosato, Souji, and the rest of the night shift to give the immediate debriefing.

Ogawa paused to take a sip of tea. “First, that mech.”

“Technically, it’s a new model of Automan.” Tomosato reported, bringing up a diagram of a similar looking machine. “A large robot designed to kill alchemists and Alca-Noise. We managed to find this early blueprint from the Panau archives once we had the reference.”

“Clever.” Souji muttered. “There is no physical armor that can block a Alca-Noise’s dissection organ, so they made the armored components both sacrificial _and _regenerative. And its firepower is enough to shatter an alchemical barrier.”

“That cannon.” Maria said. “Chris identified it as the same used in Kadingir.”

“Its name appears to be _Aparras_.” Tomosato clarified. “As you might expect, a miniaturized high technological version of Kadingir’s particle beam. Much less powerful, but still hefty enough.”

“Why was it sent against us, then?” Shirabe asked as she frowned.

“Because it was there and it could.” Ogawa answered. “As it was, it bought enough time for the Horsemen’s data scrubbers to wipe their computers.” He smiled thinly with a nod to Maria. “Fortunately, those couldn’t wipe paper.”

“The hidden manifests?” Maria smiled back. “They were helpful?”

“They are a start.” Souji crossed his arms. “There were Beryllium shipments in those manifests that match those used with the nuke in Kamogawa. We don’t just have the mining region the Beryllium is from: we now have the specific mine too. Checking who has ownership in it has given us a suspects list now about who in the Chinese government might be in contact with the Horsemen.”

Shirabe could tell there was more to that. “But…?”

“It’s a **_very _**long list.” Commander Ogawa finished for his brother. As he spoke the list appeared on the screen, virtually filling it up. “We have people who we have identified as being members of both the Pro and Anti-SONG faction. As well as ones who are indifferent to us.”

“Except for Huang Jin.” Tomosato muttered crossly, but then she murmured thoughtfully. “Still, some proof of collusion between the Horsemen and elements of the Horsemen could be the key to get him to stop being so stubborn in these negotiations.”

His attention on Tomosato’s comment and unaware of the adaptors’ displeasure, Shinji shook his head. “Sorry Tomosato-san, but that would let those elements know we’re onto them. It would be better if-”

“Wait…” Souji mumbled, his eyes narrowing up at the list. “Maybe that’s just what we need.”

Shinji glanced over his shoulder at his brother with a frown, but it vanished after a moment. He knew that look. “You have an idea, Nii-san?”

“Yes.” Souji answered. “But we’ll discuss it once we’re done briefing.” He glanced over at the two. “Still, we’re focusing our efforts on narrowing down the list. Even if that’s being slowed by having to be… discreet.”

Shirabe fixed a displeased stare at nothing-in-particular as Maria bristled. This stupid political convenience. Having to tip-toe around the Chinese Government’s sensibilities. She hated it. She could tell the other adaptors hated it. It hadn’t been an issue with any other opponent they faced, who largely worked outside the international system with only some minor exceptions. But the Horsemen weren’t most of their opponents. This incident getting their identities and history thrown out into the open, having to give that stupid press conference, hearing about all the bickering from the politicians...

It made her aware like she never had before that they were still being shunted around in a game of power politics. Her glare deepened.

But what choice did they have? SONG was fundamentally part of the UN. It was dependent on its members' approval. If she bailed, she’d lose all support, be on her own. Even if she could convince the others, get the adaptors to rebel, SONG would come under fire for being unable to “control them”. They’d be isolated from support and the Horsemens’ job would be that much easier. So they had to stick with it for now.

Was it part of their plan? Shirabe wondered. Get the adaptors sick enough of the world that the world then got sick of them? They couldn’t let them get away with that. But they couldn’t just keep letting these restraints keep them down either. They had already run up against them just now, with those child traffickers.

Shinji noticed, glancing between Shirabe and Maria with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry.” He said softly. “I wish things could continue just like before but…”

Yeah, _but_. The Horsemen wouldn’t let them have that.

“It’s fine.” Maria said, letting out a breath. “Not much we can do about it at the moment. What about those children Chris found?” She had heard the story on the helicopter ride back and had promised to ask at the briefing for her.

“We’re keeping tabs on it through General Fai.” Shinji answered. “He seemed horrified to learn there was child slave smuggling going on in the area and promised maximum repressive efforts against them.”

Maria frowned. On the one hand, Chris would probably be glad to hear the Chinese authorities were taking things so seriously. On the other hand, the attention towards the crime rather than the victims of the crime…

There had to be a better way to make sure those kids would end up okay.

—

“Anything?” Chris asked for what felt like the gazillionth time today.

“Sorry, Chris-san. Nothing yet.” Elfnein answered apologetically, her eyes glued to the screen of data that Chris only a quarter understood as the scanner slowly ran over Ichaival. Elfnein had said it was a machine with a few alchemical tricks applied that helped her analyze almost anything short of outer-physics.

They had stopped live-monitoring the data from the Symphogear after the battle had ended in favor of coordinating the search teams and PLA response, but SONG’s computers kept a record of the data anyways. Looking at that had only given Elfnein limited information: there was some kind of strange “wobble” in Ichaival’s Aufwachen Waveform at the same time Shirabe and Chris stated things had started to get weird. But the alchemist couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

Chris sighed, leaning back and closing her eyes. The mission had been more exhausting than she expected. Dealing with the Horsemen’s forces was perfunctory enough, but those children… she had helped them just saving them, she knew that much. But still, Chris worried.

That Major had seemed earnest enough promising to take care of them. But his power would ultimately only go so far and she had first hand experience how bureaucracies could get when processing rescued child slaves. It wasn’t that they abused them. Rather it was… the coldness with which they took care of them. When she had been found in Val-Verde, that’s what she remembered most of all in the time before Fine had kidnapped her from her would-be rescuers.

She had to find a way to at least make sure.

“Huh.” Elfnein’s remarks tore Chris from her thoughts, bringing her attention back to the alchemist. The blonde’s eyebrows had furrowed and she had paused on a section of the scan, her eyebrows drawn together.

“What?” Chris glanced down at the screen, only to find she didn’t really understand any of the display. The image did look a bit familiar somehow. “What is it?”

“Give me a moment.” The blonde muttered, pressing a few buttons on the computer. Additional screens popped up, flowing lines of data that Chris would probably only be able to make sense of if she had at least a year’s education in heretical technology. As it was, Fine had barely taught her some basics. Finally, Elfnein shook her head. “That’s strange.”

“Ya know,” Chris raised an eyebrow. “It’d be nice if people don’t beat around the bush with cryptic statements like that. Doubly so when it comes to my ‘Gear.”

“Eh-heh…” Elfnein smiled and scratched the back of her head awkwardly. “Sorry.” She quickly sobered up. “You remember the Ignite Module? And how it accessed locks in the Symphogear’s berserk system?”

Oh, Chris already did _not _like where this was going. “Yeah?”

“Those locks have changed.”

Chris stared for a few moments as she tried to process that statement. “Think ya could elaborate on that shrimp?”

“I wish I could.” Elfnein sighed, pressing a button that paused one of the scrolling data screens. She squinted down at it, as if trying to divine it’s secrets. “But I’m still trying to puzzle out the data.”

“So is this why I suddenly felt like ripping that slaver dick’s head off?”

“From what I can tell… maybe? The data’s telling me that though the locks have _changed_, they are still just as _tight_. Without Dainsleif providing a key through them, they still shouldn’t really be accessible.” Elfnein shook her head. “But it’s the only actual change in Ichaival I can find and that can’t be a coincidence.”

Chris’s grip on her leg tightened as her frown deepened. So she had been about to go berserk? But… no, that didn’t feel right. She remembered how going into Ignite felt and while the rage had been similar, she didn’t feel like she was at risk of losing control. Her mind didn’t waver, didn’t seem like it’d slip into darkness. Shirabe said it seemed like something was breaking out of Chris, but Chris didn’t even notice anything until afterward.

Actually, on reflection, Chris decided that was kinda scary. A new berserk mode where you didn’t even notice you were slipping into it? She shuddered.

“Is it… is it related to Sumphonia?” Chris dreaded the answer to the question, but she had to know for sure.

“It seems improbable that it wouldn’t be.” Elfnein shook her head, shutting down the scanner. “But I can’t seem to detect anything else.” Standing up, she walked over to where Ichaival rested beneath a reflective glass lid and pulled it out before turning back to Chris. “On the next check-up, I’m going to have to scan everyone else’s Symphogears as well. We have to see if they are running the risk of this happening to them as well.”

“I see…” Chris muttered, then she blinked as Elfnein offered Ichaival out. “Uh… are you sure…”

“We don’t have conclusive evidence, there remains no risk when untransformed, and you still need it to fight the Horsemen.” Elfnein’s voice was serious. “Unless Ogawa-san or the Committee decides otherwise, Ichaival is still yours.” That the committee was probably going to be outright lied too about this went unsaid. That was a big political risk, but then _everything _about Sumphonia was one enormous political risk. Elfnein bit her lip. ”Just... be careful, Chris-san.”

Chris stared at Ichaival. It was silly: as it stood now, the pendant was just an inanimate rock with some fancy electronics attached. But she couldn’t help but be a little afraid of it after what she just heard. Still, Elfnein was right. Chris still needed it.

“Alright.” Chris said as she took the pendant.

“Let’s also run a quick check-up.” Elfnein said, quickly moving to where she stored her medical supplies. “Just to be sure.”

“Seriously?” Chris rolled her eyes. Physically, she felt fine. Okay, she was tired, but that was explainable from the fact it was almost four-in-the-fucking-morning.

“We have to cover every angle.” Elfnein replied as she draped her stethoscope over her neck. Her voice was still kind, but Chris could detect the undercurrent of what she referred to as “Doc Shrimp” beneath it. She gave an exasperated sigh.

“Fine.”

They ran through the procedure. Chris’s heartbeat and breathing was all normal. Likewise, the quick check of her mouth, nostrils, and other usual parts turned up nothing unusual. No abnormalities with her blood pressure, but Elfnein quirked an eyebrow when they checked her temperature.

“What?” Chris asked at the look on Elfnein’s face.

“It’s… probably nothing?” Elfnein said. “Just… your skin seemed cooler than this.” She shook her head. “It’s probably just my imagination. Your body temperature is registering as completely normal.”

It was when they hit her muscle checks that the first real abnormalities appeared.

“Um…” Elfnein muttered, looking between Chris’s leg and then back down at her chart. Now it was Chris’s turn to quirk an eyebrow. It was a routine reflex test: Elfnein bonked the part of her leg that made her kick and checked her response time.

“Something wrong?”

“No. It’s just… your numbers have improved, that is all.” Elfnein quickly answered. But Chris could catch the implication. Elfnein didn’t know which it was: her continued physical growth or Sumphonia. The subsequent check on her muscle balance had a similar result: noticeable improvement. But the real shock came when they tested her grip strength.

“_Sixty-five kilograms?_” Chris muttered, her eyes wide as she stared at the dynamometers screen. That was more than twice the results of her last grip strength test, which itself had only been one kilogram higher than the one before. Her grip had gone from being within the average for a girl of her age to that of a male athlete in the prime of his life inside of a week. “Holy _shit_. How soon until the idiot winds up breaking this thing?”

Elfnein seemed equally bewildered. “That’s… that’s really fast. Even Professor-One-Oh-Eight’s notes didn’t say things would be happening this fast.” She was scribbling on her medical sheet furiously. “The rate of your strength growth is out of proportion with the improvements of your reflexes and balance. Is it supposed to be like that?”

Chris placed the dynamometer down and sucked in a deep breath to steady herself. First whatever the fuck it was with those child slavers, now she had become freakishly strong. When will the shocks end? “Can… can we end it here?”

“I…” Elfnein paused, saw the look on Chris’s face, then she nodded. “Yes. That would probably be for the best. It’s not like your blood results have been any different between tests.” That wasn’t why she had been drawing the blood in the first place.

“Yeah. Good…” Chris pushed herself up.

Elfnein fidgeted, her eyes filling with worry. “Chris-san, are you-”

“I’ll be fine.” Chris cut her off, a little bit more sharply then she intended. Taking in another breath, she steadied herself. “It’s just… a surprise, is all.”

Elfnein just silently watched as Chris threw on the jacket to her SONG uniform. The silverette remained quiet herself until she turned around and saw the blonde staring at her. Then she scowled. “Look, don’t worry your head over us. If this shit is making us tougher, well, maybe that’s a good thing than.” Chris reached out and lay a reassuring hand on Elfnein’s head. “Look, it’s late. Get some sleep, shrimp.”

“But I’m not-” Elfnein cut herself off with a yawn, blushing as she proved Chris’s point.

“Yeah, see.” Chris smiled in amusement, turning for the door. “Have a good night.”

“Okay…” Elfnein relented. “Good night Chris.”

Chris idly waved over her shoulder as she stepped out of the lab room. She let the door close behind her, turned, and walked halfway to the next turn in the corridor before letting her shoulders sag with a sigh. All this shit… the kids, Sumphonia, her past…

She felt her eyes water, prompting Chris to suck in a deep breath. She continued on, turning for her cabin on the sub. She stepped into the room and flopped down on the bed with a groan.

She wanted to fall asleep, but it just wouldn’t come. Her mind was a whirl of thoughts about the past and what was happening to her.

Flopping over, Chris yanked open the drawer in the bedside table and retrieved her phone. Her civilian phone. The clock on it read 4:27. If she recalled correctly, China was one hour behind Japan. She hesitated, wondering if it was right that she did this. But then again...

Chris scrolled down to the number in her contacts and dialed.

—

About five days ago, someone on the internet had found a video of Chris singing at the school fair on an obscure streaming website and reuploaded it to something more mainstream. Within hours, someone else quickly ripped the song and made it into an audio file. As something sung once in a moment of inspiration at a school performance, it was not at all copyrighted and couldn’t be taken down. It quickly joined the circulation of Symphogear combat songs that once were classified material, but now de-facto public domain due to the impossibility of enforcement after the leaks.

Komichi had found it two days ago and instantly set it as her ringtone. Waking up to Chris’s beautiful singing voice made it rather hard to get mad over the disturbance. Rolling over, she blinked through her exhaustion to check the time. Well, it wasn’t **_that _**long until she got up anyways. Still, who would be calling at…

Komichi’s exhaustion quickly washed away as she realized exactly there was only one person who might call her at 5:27 in the morning. She almost tumbled out of her bed in her haste to answer the phone, only for the possibility to abruptly occur to her that it might not be who she thought it was. Hesitantly, as if her voice would rip apart the quiet of her room, Komichi began, “Hello?”

“Hey…” Chris’s voice came back, causing Komichi’s heart to skip a beat. But there was a quiver to it, a hesitancy, that Komichi hadn’t heard before. “Is… it too early?”

“No!” Komichi urgently interjected. Chris sounded like she was on the verge of tears and the very idea of that… if Chris was sad, she had to help her. “Yuk-Chris-san, what’s the matter?”

There was a pause and a sniffle. At that, Komichi wished she was where Chris was, hugging her as tightly as she could. “I… there was a mission.” Chris said. “I can’t give any more details, but something happened on it and…”

She trailed off, her voice hitching. That made Komichi’s heart ache. She knew Chris was out of the country, probably hunting the Horsemen. She had heard about that online interview Chris had, which she intended to watch later today. But for something to happen out there. “Was it bad?”

There was a pause on the other end, some consideration. “No, no. I don’t think so but…” Chris’s voice cracked, finally releasing a sob. “It was stressful. And I just _needed_ to hear your voice after it. Can we… can we just talk?”

“Of course.” Komichi answered softly. Anything for Chris. “What do you want to talk about?”

So they chatted. They talked about everything and about nothing. Chris reminisced about days at Lydian, Komichi laughing with her as they recalled how Yuki once twisted her ankle trying something dumb and how they had all been so freaked out at the time. Komichi cried with Chris as the silverette recounted a movie she saw about a sled-dog team abandoned in Antarctica and the hardships they endured to survive. For hours they talked and talked, rolling right past the dawn and even breakfast time in both time zones.

“Hey…” Chris finally muttered, sounding tired but infinitely better then she had when Komichi first picked up. “Thanks, Komichi. I… thanks.”

“It was nothing.” Komichi muttered, a light blush crossing her cheeks. Despite her being so far away, it felt almost like Chris was sitting there right beside her. “Chris… I…”

She trailed off, not sure what she was about to say.

But Chris chuckled tiredly. “Hey, I’ll call you when I get back to Japan, alright? First thing. We’ll get together then, ‘kay?”

“Yeah.” Komichi breathed, enraptured by Chris’s laugh. “Together.” She swallowed. “I’ll see you then.”

“Yeah, definitely. See ya.”

And they hung up. Komichi stared down for a few moments at the phone. She felt… light. Like she was in a dream.

Then her stomach tumbled and broke the spell. Komichi glanced at her phone's clock and shook her head in amusement. Well, might as well start the day with some brunch.

\----

**Next Chapter: **Screams Can't Fix Things

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, not a chapter I have much to say about. Most of the stuff here speaks for itself. It’s always fun to see what you guys are able to pick up on yourself… both the obvious and the not-obvious.


	31. Screams Can’t Fix Things

**Distortions** **  
** **Chapter 31:** **  
** **Screams Can’t Fix Things**

\----

[15Z601 Secure Access. Please Enter Authentication: ******* ]  
[Authentication Verified]  
[BRAVO-ROMEO-DELTA Clearance Verified]  
[Archival Request Granted]  
[15Z601 Audio Log #61002-D-2301. Date: ERROR-N/A ]  
[NOTE: Log Classified MIKE-DELTA-JULIET. Per Red Unit COMSEC Protocols, 5S Callsigns Are Used For Speakers.]

[Phone Number Registered. Pass Protocol Initiated]  
**C203:** The express for Hong Kong’s running late.  
[Pass Authenticated. Line Secured. Rerouting Call.]  
**A673:** What is it?  
**C203:** They’re onto us! SONG found evidence of the deal, from one of _ your _ facilities no less!  
**A673:** Oh?  
**C203: ** Yes! They’ve used it as leverage to move up the delivery of the fragment. Do you know what will happen if this gets out?  
**A673: ** [Inaudible] I suppose that would be rather bad for us.  
**C203: ** Quite! My superiors are rather adamant about this: if the deal is going to keep up, we’re going to need more incentives than the Anti-LiNKER.  
**A673: ** Understandable. How do handheld combat coilguns sound?  
[Significant Pause Recorded]  
**C203: ** I’m sorry, _ what?  
_ **A673: ** Understand, we can’t provide you with more than a few samples and basic designs, but I’m sure you’ll find that even that represents a significant advancement for-  
**C203: ** Hold on, hold on. When did you guys manage to get infantry-level coilguns? I mean, PLA reports on the Automen, sure, but-  
**A673:** I’m afraid I’m not cleared to share that information.  
**C203: ** I… I’ll pass this offer on. I’m sure they’ll be enthusiastic about it.  
**A673: ** Indeed so. But there is one more thing… the relic fragment transfer: when and where.  
**C203: ** Do you think we’re stupid? Why would we tell you that? We may be willing to deal with you regarding SONG, but if you think we’ll let you interfere with China’s future in-  
**A673: ** It’s not a question of your faction, but of yourself.  
[Significant Pause Recorded]  
**C203: ** What?  
**A673: ** Let me tell you a story. I’m sure you’re aware of the American ECHELON project? Impressive in a vacuum, but child’s play next to the Red Unit’s cyberwarfare capabilities. The data we managed to pull from it goes beyond just SONG. In particular, we’re quite aware of the July 28th, 2040 deal regarding Ruri and Midori Kiseasa.  
**C203: ** _ What?!  
_ **A673: ** “What” indeed. Now, while you may not have been aware of the exact importance of those two girls at the time, I imagine the Central Committee won’t look kindly on selling out such potential break-ins. At best, it illustrates unacceptable incompetence on your part. At worst, it’s outright treason. It would be tragic if this information made its way to them. The minimum charge, I believe, would be the stripping of party membership and ten years with no right to correspondence, correct?  
[Significant Pause Recorded]  
**C203: ** What do you want from me?  
**A673: ** As we said, the handoff location and timing. Not through here, but the fourth alternative channel we worked out. You have five minutes. Understood?  
**C203: ** Yes.  
**A673: **Good.

[15Z601 Link Terminated. Log Ends.]

\----

“Skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscles all show similar improvements.” Dr. Ver muttered into the recorder as he examined the data on the screen. Working for the Pale Unit had certainly been a mixed experience, but the necessity of redundancy was one of the better lessons he had taken away from it. What was the point of making incredible advancements if the rest of the world couldn’t replicate them? How else would his genius get acknowledged? “Changes in bone density, however, are currently inadequate to cope. Have to adjust the formula to compensate.”

Simultaneously, he added it to the list of things to check with the Nanotech Engineering Department. Anything that could shortcut the process would be useful. Ver paused to take a sip of hot cocoa, the heat and sugary sweetness soothing his nerves. “Unfortunately, changes in skin tensile strength among the subject-Staples show disappointing-”

He was cut off by the door to the lab slamming open, the clicking of Professor-145’s shoes on the floor mixed with the noise of Ekaterina obediently pawing after her. Ver paused the recording, glancing across the spacious lab as 145 moved to her station. “Well, Nadia?” He asked, “What was that about?”

“The Sierra-Golfs raided a facility with a Concept-8 last night. Professor-108 was up when the Red Unit alert came through. He judged it an opportune time for a combat-trial.” Nadia answered. She stopped in front of the centerpiece of her own workstation: a metallic table with innumerable robotic arms hovering over it, the only interruption in the smooth surface a terminal in one corner. “Ekaterina, up!”

The robotic dog sprang up onto the table, its feet impacting atop the surface with an audible thud. Spinning around for a moment in imitation of an actual dogs behavior, she finally lay down across the length of the worktop, her head between her legs. Nadia pressed a button on the terminal, and the mechanical arms positioned above moved with silent efficiency, welders and cutters humming to life.

“And how did it go?” Ver finally pressed.

Nadia paused, fingers hovering over the touchscreen, a frown working its way across her face. “The machine... wasn’t built to take on the Sierra-Golfs.”

“Ah, so it failed. I’m-”

At that Nadia whirled on the biochemist, scowling. “For your information, it came a lot closer to beating the assembled team than we had expected!” She punctuated each statement with a long step towards the doctor. Ver raised his hands placatingly as she marched right up to him. “Against Alca-Noise or Alchemists, it would’ve surely been a massacre!”

Nadia paused, maintaining her glare, daring Ver to say something derogatory. She could get so touchy when it came to her anything she shared with her mom, like her sense of mechanical engineering. Ver still wasn’t sure whether that was because his old self had killed the woman or entirely because of Nadia’s own… well, “mother issues” was perhaps one way of putting it. Or maybe it was both.

“_ It’s probably both. _” Ver thought.

“I _ was _about to say I’m sorry. I’m quite aware how disappointing failure can be.” He finally replied cautiously. “But if you concluded that its performance exceeded expectations, then I guess I should say congratulations instead?”

Nadia stared at him for a few moments, then shook her head as she whirled away, walking back to her station. “Sometimes I forget how different you are from what I remember. The similarities don’t help.”

“Yes, so long as you _ do _remember what’s important.” Ver grinned, straightening his lab coat. “Particularly, what I am capable of.”

“Shut up.” She snapped back, but it lacked any of her previous bite. “What you’re capable of is going to get you into trouble.”

“Maybe if you could convince-”

“No.” Nadia cut Ver off, returning her attention to the console. With the press of a few buttons, the cutting arms went to work, expertly and precisely dismantling Ekaterina’s mechanical carapace. “We are only provided access to data regarding heretical technology relevant to our project work. You know this and know why.”

Ver scowled in response, but said nothing.

Once the black armor covering the robot dog’s body had been removed, the internals revealed a great mass of wiring, joints, and a framework of metal that just barely attempted to mimic a dog’s skeleton. “Ekaterina,” Nadia instructed. “Shut down. Authentication Delta-Five-Xray.” The slight glow in the dogs four eyes faded.

“What are you doing with her, anyways?” Ver asked as the arms went to work.

“Replacing her carapace.” Nadia shot him a slightly close-lipped smile. “Guess what came in today?”

Ver blinked a few times, then it clicked. His eyes widened in astonishment and a little bit of anger. “No! Why do so many of my material requests get denied yet yours-!”

“Because I make reasonable requests.” Nadia said, her voice growing cold. “I stay inside the rules. I am actually committed to our employer’s objectives.”

“Yet you don’t want to _ learn _anything from it!” Ver threw his arms out in exasperation. “You're just like that child who wanted to dissect the world! What’s the point of knowledge if you don’t do anything with it? At least pass it on to others!”

“Do you think I’m admonishing you about all this to hold it over your head?“ Nadia asked as she jabbed another button on the terminal to start the cutters in removing Ekaterina’s head armor. She turned a glare towards him. “I’m trying to protect you, you idiot!”

Ver paused, blinking at her.

“You’re the closest thing I have to family here.” Nadia continued, her eyes watering, ignoring the whirr of cutters beside her. “And Jesus if that isn’t _ fucked up _, but it’s true! Mother got herself involved in something she shouldn’t have and it got her fucking killed! And the Sierra-Golfs…” 

She scowled rather than finish, flicking the tears away before she turned to stubbornly focus her attention on the terminal. “This interest you have in heretical technology is going to do the same to you, _ again _, if you keep pushing like this!”

Ver remained silent, a strange sensation stirring in his gut, but he dismissed it with a sigh and a shake of his head. “I’m committed to an idea higher than my life, Nadia.” He paused, then smiled ruefully. “At least be glad it isn’t heroism any more.”

Nadia couldn’t help it, she laughed at that, “Oh yeah, you were even more of an asshole back then.”

“I know! Me, a hero.” Ver chuckled as he turned back to his screen. “I might as well try to be something like… I don’t know, an idol producer!”

“Stick to what you're good at.” Nadia agreed, although now she eyed the biochemist speculatively. “By the way, what are you working on?”

“Oh, a request from our good friend in the White Noise squad.” Ver grinned, elated at the opportunity to explain one of his projects to someone. “Although it could possibly be applied to the other Staples as well. You see, he has quite the interest in becoming stronger, so…”

Nadia really only half-listened as the doctor continued. Though she would never admit it, it was more just hearing his voice that reassured her than what Ver actually said. Her attention continued to be on Ekaterina as the welding arms began to lower the new casing she had ordered. Losing herself in her work either on her projects or on her dog, the doctor’s rambling a pleasant background noise… it all helped to distract her.

Distract her from how she might be similar to _ them_.

\----

“Kazanari-san, the board has some concerns in regard to your proposal for the reconstruction of Kamogawa.”

Tsubasa smiled politely as she met the eyes of the old man who had spoken. A polite smile, she had learned during her idol career, was a good way of disguising discomfort. The Kazanari Foundation Board was still made up of men she wasn’t sure of, figures who had all claimed to be completely unaware of Fudou’s illicit activities. But then of course they would, wouldn’t they?

“Of course, I was given to understand that was why this meeting was called, Soma-san.” Tsubasa said. “I’m hoping I can recognize the board’s objections and work together to find a beneficial compromise.”

“It’s quite simple, Kazanari-san.” Nori Soma answered. “Your proposed plan would cost the Foundation a fair bit of money.”

Tsubasa had expected an objection along those lines. She wasn’t the greatest at math, but she had able accountants working for her now who were more than happy to crunch the numbers when asked. And it is true that the results had been firmly in the red. However…

“While it is true that the plan would have us run at a net loss, it is only a minor dent in the Foundation's annual income.” Tsubasa pointed out. “It hardly represents any sort of burden for our finances.”

“That is true only when looked at in terms of the absolute numbers.” Soma answered, shuffling some papers in front of him. “However, we are not sure if you have taken into account certain other factors.”

“Other factors?” Tsubasa asked curiously.

“Confidence.” Soma said. “Namely investor confidence. Our shareholders expect maximum returns on their investments and a reduction in profit-margins could encourage them to take their money elsewhere.”

Tsubasa’s lips tightened slightly, but it wasn’t an issue she had not anticipated. “Surely our shareholders would understand if everything were properly explained? If you look at appendix three, I’ve made provisions for a PR campaign.”

Soma let out a sigh and Tsubasa was alarmed to see a number of men shaking their heads slightly. “I’m afraid it’s not a matter of understanding.” Another board member spoke up. “They invested in the foundation with expectations that we do the utmost for their benefit.”

“I see.” Tsubasa replied, keeping her voice even. “I take it you have a counter-proposal?”

Soma brightened at that, bringing up his briefcase. “We do, in fact. We were most eager when we heard you were willing to hear us out about it.”

Tsubasa had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn’t that straight forward. While Soma rooted around in his briefcase, she quietly shot a glance at the one man who had shown no sign of approval or disapproval, simply keeping quiet and typing away as he took notes. Tsubasa had invited Handa Kohaku here since he was the one person she knew that she could conceivably justify bringing along. And, as her lawyer, she knew she could count on him to help her if she was teetering towards any legal trouble.

“Here we go.” Soma said cheerfully, pulling out a binder to pass down. Tsubasa accepted it with a polite nod to the board member who had passed it down and flipped it open to read.

Immediately, all sorts of numbers leapt out at her. Hiring costs, material costs, exchange rates, value of reclaimed land, tax deductions, income, expenditure. Numbers, numbers, numbers everywhere. Some red, most black. The _ gist _was that it was nice and revenue neutral… no, she checked herself as she found another set of numbers, actually a little revenue positive.

But Tsubasa found the frown she had been fighting against breaking out across her face. None of the numbers… were the sort she cared about.

Tsubasa glanced back up, seeing the board watching her with quiet anticipation. They were waiting for her to speak, to ask a question or make a comment. And, well, this certainly left her with a bunch of questions. “How much of Kamogawa will this rebuild?”

Soma blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I asked, how much of Kamogawa will this rebuild?” Tsubasa said again, as she looked back down and started to re-read the counter-proposal. “What about quality assurance? The budget for supporting infrastructure has been drastically reduced, who will work on that? What is the background and history of these contractor companies? Who will-“

“Kazanari-san.” A board member interrupted, “I feel that is hardly relevant to-”

He abruptly fell silent as Tsubasa’s face shot-up, a hard glare boring into him. Papers rustled at a breeze that nobody noticed under her glare. “_ Hardly relevant? _” Tsubasa asked, her voice as hard as steel. “Please, tell me: how is none of that information relevant to a project which is supposed to be designed to help the residents of Kamogawa rebuild after the catastrophe that fell upon them?”

Silence fell as the board members simply stared at her. From his own seat, Kohaku glanced up. Seeing no answer, Tsubasa flipped the binder closed.

“This proposal…” She jabbed a finger down at it. “Is unacceptable.” Her gaze swept across the board again, before finally Soma. “You say that there are investors who will withdraw money if we try to help these people, Soma-san? Even if we explain that to them?” Tsubasa shook her head. “_ Good _ . If there are people who value their wealth over the livelihoods of our fellow man that much, then I do not _ want _their money.”

To his credit, Soma did not flinch from Tsubasa’s glare like the others. To his discredit, he instead returned it with one of his own. “Kazanari-san, I am urging you to reconsider. Our profit margins-“

“I do not care about the profit margins.” Tsubasa interrupted. “What I care about are the homes and workplaces restored, providing as much comfort to the survivors as possible.”

“Kazanari-san…” Soma repeated. The way he said it was starting to get on Tsubasa’s nerves. “The board has already expressed its objections. While you do have the power to override our wishes, we can and will make our own displeasure clear to the media.”

It took Tsubasa a few moments to put together precisely the implication of what Soma was implying. Were they threatening a PR campaign _ against _her?

“Oh?” Despite her efforts, Tsubasa couldn’t fully keep the incredulity out of her voice as she slightly tilted her head, her glare narrowing. “Is that so?”

It wasn’t like it was something outside of their power. A number of them were shareholders in various media companies. Some of them were even the owners of various businesses outright. But Tsubasa couldn’t help but notice the gaping flaw in such a plan.

She was formerly Japan's top idol and currently the second or third, depending on which poll you looked at, popular of the world-famous Symphogear adaptors. They were a bunch of crogedy old billionaires who had made their wealth, at least in part, by hitching themselves to her grandfather's cart. Tsubasa didn't say this. She just stared incredulously in silence as she let the businessmen draw the relevant conclusions themselves.

Finally, she decided to break the silence. “Very well, if that is the board's decision, I believe I will be making a phone call to the head of SONG’s PR department after this meeting.”

Now Soma scowled, his voice finally rising. “Is this what this is for you, Kazanari-san? A PR stunt to help get the people and the government even more on your side? To further marginalize the board’s position?”

“Yeah!” Another board member spoke up, quickly latching onto that statement. “In fact, how sure are we that ** _you _ **didn’t arrange your grandfather’s assassination? Or that of your uncle?”

Tsubasa had merely raised an eyebrow at the first accusation, but she recoiled at the second. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened. But the shock gave way as her jaw clenched and she shot up out of her seat, her indigo eyes flashing dangerously. “You dare? You ** _dare…?! _ **Not just of my grandfather, but of my uncle too?!”

The board member who had raised that objection flinched, the color draining from his face. A few of the men at the table glanced around curiously as another, harder breeze wafted through the room. Was there a window open?

An awkward silence filled the room, Tsubasa pinning the unlucky board member under her gaze, her knuckles white as she clenched them. Then Soma pulled her gaze right back onto him. “While my colleagues' accusations may be spurious, Kazanari-san, that does not change the fact you are currently running total roughshod over the advice the board has given. And now you threaten to use your status against us?” He gave a contemptuous snort. “As expected of a Kazanari, dirty players regardless of the generation.”

Tsubasa’s anger melted away, and she froze at that line, her eyes wide and eyebrows raised. She opened and closed her mouth, not sure whether she should be indignant or not. The statement cut deeper than it should, her mind flashing back to Jwa’s words...

_ “You’d end up just like him, after all.” _

Then Kohaku finally spoke up, his voice sharp and businesslike. “If she were playing dirty, Soma-san, she wouldn't have bothered coming here and explaining her reasons to us. I have worked under Fudou Kazanari-san for a solid decade and have attended these board meetings a number of instances in that time. So I can confidently say that her reasons are far more noble and dignified than anything I've heard come from anyone on this board, let alone him.”

Tsubasa glanced in surprise at the lawyer, but the man didn’t look back, instead staring at the equally-astonished Soma. The other board members flinched before angry muttering broke out between them. Soma didn’t remain off balance for long and scowled. “I see…” He bit out before falling silent.

Tsubasa glanced back and forth between Soma and Kohaku a few times before she shook her head. “The foundation will proceed with my original proposal. Is there anything else?” The question hung in the air unanswered for a few moments, since clearly there wasn’t. “Very well. Thank you for your time gentlemen.”

And good riddance.

The meeting ended, the various executives grabbing their briefcases, continuing to angrily mutter between each other. But none of them were willing to actually look Tsubasa in the eye. None of them except Soma, that is.

The man trudged up to Tsubasa. “I tolerated your decision to decentralize management and break it up, because it was a political move with minimal financial implications. But this? I did not help your grandfather build this foundation into such a profitable venture just to see some wide-eyed, idealistic brat, superhero or not, drive it into bankruptcy.”

“If you are so dissatisfied with the direction I am taking the Kazanari Foundation, Soma-san,” Tsubasa replied icily. “You _ could _tender your resignation.”

The man bit his lip, clearly tempted. Tsubasa would have fired him if she could, but alas, part of the reason the Foundation Board accepted its advisory position was precisely because its members couldn’t be fired so willy-nilly. But so long as she had the controlling share of the Foundation, the damage they could do to her plans through direct channels was strictly limited.

And departing the board would mean relinquishing his stake in the Kazanari Foundation, which for now was still a profitable enterprise. To Tsubasa’s disappointment, Soma simply snorted and walked away. Clearly, money still mattered more than the direction Tsubasa was taking the company.

“I see you are not quite used to dealing with board executives, Kazanari-san.” Kohaku’s voice pulled Tsubasa out of the death glare she was aiming at the back of Soma’s head. “But you were effective enough for the first go.”

The blue-haired swordswoman sighed and shook her head before turning to the window. Idly, she noted rain clouds rolling in. Hm, the weather forecast had said it would be sunny.

“Do you really think they’ll attempt to run a counter-PR campaign against me?” She asked.

Kohaku paused from where he was packing up his own notes, although at a much slower pace then any of the board members. He glanced toward the door to the conference room, considering the possibility. “Perhaps a few of them, but I doubt they’ll mount any coordinated effort. Your own point was quite effective.”

“Not like there aren’t people who’d agree with them.” Tsubasa muttered bitterly, crossing her arms. There were all sorts of conspiracy theories rattling around out there about them: that Carol was still alive inside Elfnein. Fine within Shirabe. Shem-Ha within Miku. That they were conspiring with the Horsemen to eliminate other relics, leaving them uncontested as superheroes. That they had displaced the Illuminati themselves to seize that power. Sure, the percentage of people was low. But with more than 7 billion people on the planet, even a small percent could still easily mean hundreds of millions of people.

But it was just like when she was an idol, except more. She had to focus on the support she got over the hate. Tsubasa figured she should do that with the board as well. Speaking of which… 

“Kohaku-san.” Tsubasa said. The lawyer stopped, one hand on the briefcase as he looked up at Tsubasa quizzically. “Thank you for supporting me back there.”

Kohaku remained silent for a few moments, his face studiously neutral. “It’s no problem.” He finally said, punctuating his statement by snapping his briefcase closed. “And if it’s any consolation… I sincerely do not believe you are like the other Kazanaris. And I am glad for it.”

Tsubasa blinked, her head tilting slightly at the statement. But Kohaku just gave a nod of farewell and began to walk away. Starting at the movement, Tsubasa quickly grabbed her own briefcase and gave chase, darting through the conference room doorway and into the hallway.

“Kohaku-san!” She called out as she quickly caught up with the lawyer, giving him a stern frown as he glanced back towards her. “You do not really think I would let you make a statement like that without wanting elaboration?”

Kohaku stared at her for a moment, then shook his head. “No, I suppose not.” They came to the elevator room, already emptied of the other executives and he pressed the escalator button for them. “I meant what I said in the meeting. Your actions and reasons are far more noble and dignified than anything I've heard come from your grandfather.”

Tsubasa frowned. “_ Just _ my grandfather?”

“I only worked with your uncle for a few months, Kazanari-san.” Kohaku clarified as the elevator arrived. “I only ever met with him three times. And he never attended a board meeting. But...” He hesitated.

Tsubasa raised an eyebrow as they stepped in and she pressed the button for the ground floor. “Go on, I promise, I will not be offended.”

Kohaku still prevaricated for a few moments before he relented. “Genjuro Kazanari struck me as a personable enough man, but he never seemed to make the Foundation a priority like you or your grandfather did.” He glanced away. “Intellectually, of course, that makes sense. He was simply a caretaker until you indicated you were ready to become more involved in the Foundation’s business. But his… insouciance towards the job still irked me. Maybe not as much as Fudou’s arrogance, but still enough.”

Tsubasa remained silent at that, her own eyes lowering in thought. Her heart tightened. Kohaku didn’t know it, but Tsubasa could discern the reasons behind Genjuro’s behavior. Her Uncle had taken that duty upon himself to protect her and her dream. Like he always had done, trying to protect all of the adaptors and their own dreams. It left her wondering though… Was that Genjuro’s own dream? Or did he once have something different that he buried because he felt responsibility to the next generation?

The question had never occurred to Tsubasa before, but her eyes widened as she realized something else. Genjuro believed… _ had _believed that each generation was responsible to support those of the future. If that was the case, didn’t she and her friends have a responsibility for future generations as well? Maria and she were well into adulthood. Chris had just entered, while Hibiki and Miku would be there very soon. Kirika and Shirabe would only be a year off.

But history wouldn’t end with that and Sumphonia meant they had an eternity ahead of them. An eternity of both the opportunity to chase their dreams… and the burden of responsibility. Responsibilities that had grown ever tighter now that the Horsemen had blown the secrecy off of their identities and pasts. How could they balance it all?

Unaware of the sudden inner conflict he had opened up in Tsubasa, Kohaku continued. “You do not have that. You take the Foundation seriously. Not for your own personal power, as Fudou Kazanari did, but for the betterment of the people as a whole. Combine that with everything else I learned about you when the news hit...” He trailed off before shaking his head. “Tsubasa Kazanari, I am _ honored _to be in your employ.”

Tsubasa had only half heard the rest of his explanation until Kohaku said her name, at which point she fully processed it. And his words… for the moment, they managed to push aside her concerns about her uncle, about Sumphonia, about her own role as a Symphogear adaptor and a sentinel, and about her responsibilities.

They reminded her of the college woman who had cried out her thanks to Tsubasa when she rescued them from the Horsemen’s troops. The children that night in the shelter on the outskirts of Kamogawa, eagerly crowding around them. The Marines she had led deep into the labyrinthine maze of the Horsemen’s base in Panau. The people she had managed to rescue from the fire triggered in the aftermath of Caprice’s mad bombing attack. Their gratitude, their _ hope _…

Wasn’t it like the hope she tried to inspire in people with her songs?

_ “If you lose a dream…” _ Kuriyo’s words from that last party when they said farewell to her echoed through Tsubasa’s head. _ “Well, I guess the best thing to do would be to find a new dream.” _

Well, it wasn’t _ precisely _a new dream. But new methods to the same thing… close enough, right? Through song, through the Foundation, or through her Symphogear...

“I see.” Tsubasa finally said, as the elevator reached the ground floor with a chime. “Thank you, Kohaku-san.” She glanced forward as they stepped out into the lobby. “I am… glad to have you in my employ.”

Kohaku just nodded to her, before turning and walking off towards the building exit. Tsubasa just watched him go for the moment. He would probably catch a cab back to his office while Tsubasa would go rendezvous with some of her security team, change into her motorcycle suit, and then grab her bike. She had to go back to SONG’s local base to help interview Yumi again. They were both monitoring the Otaku for any further effects from the NERV headset as well as trying to figure out how much she had learned about the Horsemen and what SONG could learn from that. Hibiki and Miku’s classmate had been more than eager to assist.

But for the moment, Tsubasa took the opportunity to rest and calm the storm of her feelings with the hope her conversation with Kohaku had given her. Lifting her eyes, the swordswoman noted how the clouds she had seen earlier were now dispersing, leaving a perfectly sunny day.

She smiled softly and turned for one of the hallways.

\----

“I’m done!” Hibiki shouted, throwing down her pen on the table and toppling over right into Miku’s lap, burying herself face first into her thighs. “I thought I’d never finish.”

“Congratulations.” Miku giggled, gently running her hand through the Gungnir wielder’s hair.

Chris glanced up from her own position in the chair across from them. Shaking off the vague sensation of deja-vu, she raised an eyebrow and grinned, “Oh? The idiot actually finished her homework before the year began? Will wonders never cease.” Flipping the magazine she had been reading closed, the silverette stood up and leaned over the table. “Let me check your work, I’m sure it’s full of errors.”

With a frown, Hibiki twisted her head around towards the Ichaival wielder. “Come on Chris-chan! Can’t you have any faith in me?”

“I’ve got plenty of faith...” Chris teased as she closed the workbook Hibiki left open and began to organize the papers. Hibiki did deserve a bit of a break after all the hard work Miku had made her do. “That you’ll always be an idiot.”

“Mou… Miku!” Hibiki glanced up at her girlfriend with a mock pout. “Chris-chan’s being mean to me!”

Miku simply shook her head as she continued to run her fingers through Hibiki’s hair, not even trying to hide her amused grin.

“We’re back!” Qiao shouted, hoisting a bag full of groceries up as the front door to the apartment banged open. “And no, we didn’t get recognized this time.”

“Well, we _ almost _got recognized.” Shirabe corrected as she followed the Chinese idol in, more bags in her own hands and her sunglasses over her face. “Thanks to Kiri-chan.”

Kirika entered next, although hers had nothing but her favorite snacks. “Come on, Shirabe! It’s not my fault the cashier recognized me for a moment, but then figured there was no way I’d be in his store.”

Maria was fourth in line, tossing in her own two cents. “We’re fortunate he figured he had to be mistaken because there was no way one of the adaptors could be shopping at his store.”

“Kirika-san’s attempt at a fake name was funny though.” Yang observed as she entered last, shutting the door behind her. “But who is Saori Takebe?”

“Nobody important!” Kirika answered quickly, blushing faintly as she rushed to put up her bags before she could be questioned any more. Shirabe quickly moved after her, but Maria paused to take in the scene in the room: Hibiki’s head laying on Miku’s lap, Miku gently stroking Hibiki’s hair, and Chris quietly zipping up a book bag. That could only mean one thing.

“Ah, so Hibiki finished her homework?”

“Yep.” Chris confirmed.

“Excellent! If that’s the case...” Qiao grinned, turning to her friend. “Yang, you still got the letters we received yesterday, right?”

“Oh, yes!” The violette nodded. “Give me one moment!” Yang quickly grabbed Qiao’s bag and darted into the kitchen.

“Letters?” Chris raised an eyebrow.

“A little annual festival we have here in Shanghai.” Qiao explained. “This year’s scheduled to occur in just a few days, so I pulled some strings.”

Something clicked in Chris’s head. The answer to a problem she had been musing on all the prior day: how to make sure those kids turned out alright. She eyed Qiao speculatively. Sure, the Chinese idol had a self-important streak, but otherwise she had been nothing but unfailingly polite, friendly, and eager to both accept and offer help. Could Chris trust her with this task?

Well, even if she couldn’t, it wasn’t like there were any better candidates. Qiao was the one with an “in” to the Chinese government and a pop idol in her own right. All Chris could do was ask, hope she agreed, and hope she follows through. She needed to wait for the right moment though.

“What festival is this?” Maria asked.

“The Shanghai International Music Festival of course!” Qiao grinned, pressing a hand to her chest proudly. “Not only is it thematically appropriate, but some of _ my _music will be airing there.”

“Ah, and so the other shoe drops.” Chris muttered. Maria simply shook her head and turned for the kitchen to drop off her own food. Hibiki, immediately pushed herself up from where she was laying down, her eyes lighting up.

“Oh! That seems like a great idea!” She quickly shot her girlfriend a dazzling smile. “Right, Miku?”

“I think security might be an issue.” Miku pointed out, somewhat more sanguinely. While she could never say no to the opportunity to go out somewhere with Hibiki. “We don’t want to put those people in danger.”

“Just leave that to me!” Qiao again patted herself on the chest, puffing herself up. “I’ve made sure there’s plenty of time, so SONG and the Interior Ministry will have no trouble making preparations. Plus...” She placed a mischievous finger over her lips, her eyebrow raising. “It’ll be perfectly adequate secrecy. The only person who knows I got these tickets is one of the guys working for the festival and nobody will be expecting you all to attend.”

Qiao placed her hands on her hips triumphantly. “I bet those Horsemen jackasses would never expect you guys to be somewhere so public!”

Chris rolled her eyes at Qiao’s delivery, but she had to admit the idol did have a point. Not to mention admire the forethought she had put into it. It struck her as being made with a bit of ignorance as to the Horsemen’s true capabilities, but it wasn’t bad once that was factored out.

A moment later, Yang banged out of the kitchen, an envelope clutched in her hand. “Here it is, Qiao!” She rushed forward eagerly.

“Thanks Yang, my greatest little fan.” Qiao said as she accepted the letter, tearing off the end. Nine tickets slipped out into her hand and Qiao’s smile flickered a little. “I was hoping Kazanari-senpai would be able to join us. But I guess we have a spare...”

“Maybe we could give it to Tomosato-san?” Hibiki suggested. “Or my dad? Oh! I’d bet Elfnein-chan would love to come!”

“Elfnein-san sounds like a good candidate.” Qiao agreed as Maria, Kirika, and Shirabe also filtered back into the living room.

“Maria said you’ve got tickets for a festival?!” Kirika almost bounced with excitement as she ran up to Yang.

“Yep!” Yang smiled back at her, handing her two of the tickets.

“Oyoyoyo!” Kirika said, spinning around and rushing back to Shirabe. “Look, Shirabe! They’re backstage, all access! It’s like one of Maria or Tsubasa-senpai’s concerts.”

They settled down in the living room. With Miku and Hibiki on the couch and Chris occupying her own chair, there were only two seats remaining. Out of respect for their guests, Yang and Qiao opted to remain standing. Kirika and Shirabe squeezed themselves into one chair, cuddling together in a way that made Chris mutter angrily under her breath. And Maria graciously nodded to Qiao in thanks as she took the last one.

Yang, as it turned out, didn’t just have tickets. She also made sure to acquire brochures and she passed those out as well as she went around the room. But Chris didn’t pay much attention to the one she received. She nodded in thanks but quickly glanced back to Qiao, quietly leaning up against the wall next to her wall TV at the front of the room.

Finally, she figured it was now or never. “Hey…” She spoke up, waving towards Qiao. “Could I talk to ya?”

Qiao glanced at Chris, and tilted her head a little. “Of course! What’s up?”

A moment of silence lingered between them as they stared at each other across the room. Chris noted Miku and Hibiki glance up from where they had splayed their brochure across the table that had formerly held Hibiki’s homework. That… wouldn’t do. She wasn’t comfortable talking about this so openly.

“Could I talk to ya _ alone _?” Chris reemphasized. That drew Yang’s attention and she opened her mouth to question Chris, but Qiao’s own response pre-empted her.

“Oh! Sure.” Qiao blushed a little at the misunderstanding. She straightened up and indicated the door with her head. “The kitchen alright?”

“Yeah, that’ll do great.” Chris agreed, standing up herself and walking over, the two pushed off. Yang watched them go, her brows furrowed in slight concern, but she shook her head and moved over to take Chris’s recently vacated seat instead.

“I’m sure it’s nothing, Yang-san.” Miku reassured her.

“It certainly is.” Maria chipped in, although she didn’t look up from her own brochure. Oh, Tsubasa would have loved this festival. How unfortunate she had to stay back in Japan. ”I have a fair idea of what it’s about. Chris is just seeking some help.”

“You do?” Yang perked up. “Can you say?”

Now Maria lowered the brochure slightly, considering the question. “I don’t think it’s my place. But Qiao is liable to tell you later about it.”

“I see…” Yang murmured, glancing towards the kitchen door again one more time. Then she straightened up and cleared her throat loudly. “I… want to thank you all.”

Even Kirika and Shirabe paused at that, both of them glancing to Yang and then between each other. “For our Symphogear work or…?” Kirika trailed off.

But Yang shook her head. “No, no, no.” She paused for a moment, a finger going to her chin. “Well, sort of. For helping Qiao. For accepting her. Qiao is… I’m sure you notice she likes attention?”

“Yes.” Hibiki said, then added in a bit of afterthought. “That’s caused us a bit of trouble in the past…”

Yang’s eyes widened frantically, her head whipped around towards the kitchen door real fast as if she was certain Qiao could hear that. Then her head came around and she shot out of her chair towards Hibiki.

“Please!” She stumbled forward. “Don’t say that to her! I’m sure she didn’t mean it! Qiao is really the greatest and I’m-” She abruptly stopped her advance on Hibiki as an arm shot out between her and the Gungnir girl.

Yang’s eyes followed the arm to find Miku staring at her, a mix of concern and warning on her face. At that, the purplette deflated. She looked over her shoulder to find that her sudden advance on Hibiki had also caused both Maria and the Zababa duo to tense. She turned away from them all. “Sorry… it’s just… Qiao works so hard at what she does that I hate to hear people say anything negative about her.”

Her head dipped, bangs falling over her eyes. “Qiao loves the attention, but that’s because she thinks that she can bring happiness to people when they pay attention to her. I…”

Yang bit her lip. “I know she sometimes doesn’t realize that other people don’t think the same way. But… it’s still hard to hear. The attention makes her happy, and I want her to be happy. I want to protect her happiness. That’s why I support her.”

Silence fell, all the present adaptors listening intently. Then Miku spoke. “I understand.”

Yang blinked and turned around at that. Miku stood up, a soft smile on her lips as she slowly walked up to Yang. “I also once was in your position.” She continued. “When all I could do was support my own little problem child the same way you are trying to do.”

Hibiki froze, her face stuck in a combination of a smile at Miku’s statement and grimace at the tease. Across the table from her, Kirika had to clamp a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing and ruining the mood. But Miku paid no attention to any of that, simply taking Yang’s hand in hers.

“And I also know how it feels to just want to shield them from everything bad in the world.” She continued. “So, we promise that we’ll try our best to help Qiao-san. And for your thanks… well, you’re welcome. We’re more than glad to help.” She glanced over her shoulder at the others. “Right?”

“Dess!” Kirika pumped her fist. “Don’t worry about Qiaochi!”

“We’ll be very reliable senpais.” Shirabe nodded.

“Yep,” Hibiki flashed a V-sign at Yang. “Qiao-chan will be a-okay with us!”

Only Maria remained quiet, just giving a small smile and nod. It wasn’t at all reflective of the uncertainty she felt on the inside however. The others weren’t considering the issue in full. Well, _ maybe _Miku was and was simply trying to cheer Yang up by focusing on the short-term. But Maria still had plenty of reservations about making Qiao into a Symphogear adaptor. Above all… how she would react to the news of Sumphonia.

“P_erhaps I shouldn’t worry too much about it._” Maria thought to herself as she watched a smile break across Yang’s face, the purplette reaching up to wipe away a tear. “ _ After all, Elfnein does intend to drag the process out as much as she can. _”

“Thank you.” Yang said, wiping a bit more at her face. “Ever since she first heard about you, Yang thought you were the coolest. Singing not just to make people happy, but to actually save them from all these disasters? She thought it was just the coolest.”

She giggled fondly. “I bet you could imagine her reaction whenever the government came and told her she could be a Prime Candidate.”

“Eh-heh…” Hibiki rubbed the back of her head. “I do think I can imagine her reaction, yeah. Even…” She trailed off, suddenly deciding it might be better not to complete the sentence with “_ though none of us were given the choice when we started. _”

Fortunately, Yang seemed not to notice. She simply squeezed Miku’s hand and nodded her thanks. Miku, for her part, just smiled back before turning back towards the couch, catching Maria’s eye as she did so. The blackette’s face grew a bit more serious and she nodded.

“_ Ah _ .” Maria thought as she watched Miku return to her spot next to Hibiki. “_So she does get it after all._”

—

“Are ya gonna put that food up?” Chris asked, indicating the bags arrayed on the kitchen’s central table.

“Oh, I’m sure Yang got the most urgent stuff.” Qiao waved her hand at it dismissively. “The rest we’ll get later.”

“Hm…” Chris murmured, eyeing the bags. Some of them did seem partially emptied. “How much does she do for you?”

“A… A whole lot.” Qiao said wistfully, but she rubbed her wrists as she leaned against the cabinet. “Believe it or not, I’ve actually had an increase in the chore load since I became a Prime Candidate and my idol activities got scaled back.”

“Really?” Chris asked. She knew she was delaying, but she was genuinely curious.

“Yeah. More time to do it.” Qiao closed her eyes as she leaned back against the cabinet. “Yang’s always been there, taking care of those little things so I could focus on my career, always urging me on. Ever since we met back in elementary and I was all like ‘I’m gonna be the greatest idol in China!’”

She giggled a little, opening her eyes again. “She had the _ biggest _‘woah’ on her face then.” She promptly tried to imitate it and Chris actually had to slap her hand over her own mouth to stop from laughing.

“Oh my god…” The Ichaival wielder choked out.

“Yeah.” Qiao grinned. “She wasn’t the first one I made happy with my music, but she was the first one to be so overwhelmingly enthusiastic about it. And every time I was on the stage in a live and heard those crowds roaring all for me…”

She trailed off, then shook her head. “Ah, anyways, we’re not talking about me. You needed help, Yukine-senpai?”

Chris paused, “Uh… yeah.” She walked over to the kitchen table and slid one of the bags aside to lean forward, resting on her elbows. “Let me try and figure out how to start…”

“When you’re ready.” Qiao agreed politely.

Silence fell for a few moments, the only sound the tick of a clock hanging between some of the cabinet shelves. Chris bit at her lip, twirling her finger in her hair as she considered precisely how she could bring it up… especially since she was still a bit uncertain whether Qiao could be trusted to help.

Maybe _ that _was a good place to start.

“Why do ya want to be an adaptor?” Chris asked.

Qiao started, not quite expecting the sudden question. “I’m sorry?”

Chris placed her hands on the counter, looking hard at Qiao. “Why do ya want to be an adaptor?”

Qiao stared back for a few moments, before furrowing her brow. “Because…” She paused, raising a hand to her chin. “Because it seems like a better way.”

Chris quirked her eyebrow. “A better way to what?”

“To help people.” Qiao said, her voice growing more certain. “As an idol, I can make people happy. But I couldn’t make them safe.”

She looked Chris directly in the eye. “What you do… it’s more important. You mentioned in the interview yesterday, the people you all saved in Africa? Think of how happy they were to be alive. Think of the hope you give everyone, knowing you could save them.”

“And that’s just the small stuff!” Qiao spread her arms out as she continued. “Fine, Dr. Ver, Carol, the Illuminati, Shem-Ha! How much suffering and pain would there have been if you didn’t stop them? What would have happened to our future?” Her hands dropped to her side again as she finished. “So yeah, that’s why. It seems like a better, more important thing to do than just singing.”

The silence returned. Throughout the whole explanation, Chris had listened intently, staring hard at Qiao. And for the moment she remained like that. The idol fidgeted, offering a nervous smile.

And Chris grinned back. “I’m glad to hear it.” She nodded, “Sounds like a good reason, to be honest. And it’s not too different from a realization I had recently. You remember I had to go on a mission two nights ago?”

“Ah, yes.” Qiao scratched her face. “It was on the news yesterday. You hit a Horsemen base in Inner Mongolia?” She made a face. “Scary to think they have such a presence here.”

“Yeah, well… the Horsemen weren’t the only dicks up there.” Chris muttered darkly. Qiao tilted her head in curiosity. “The other kid noticed something was up with some guys nearby. Turned out they were buncha child slave smugglers. With cargo, if you get my drift.”

“That’s awful.” Qiao’s eyes widened. “But wait… you’re-”

“Yeah.” Chris quickly cut her off. “So, as you can imagine, I… didn’t take it well, at least with the slaver fucks. Fortunately, the other kid stopped me from going overboard there.” She reached up and scratched her head. “But the kids… I mean, a few of them were in there so long that they hadn’t heard my identity get leaked. But most of ‘em...”

Chris closed her eyes, remembering those faces. “When they realized who I was, that I was trying to set them free...” She opened her eyes again. “It’s like you said. The hope and happiness in their eyes… it was like all the fucked up shit I went through was suddenly worth it, just so I could save them.”

Qiao nodded, but her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “So what do you need me for then?”

Chris sighed, glancing down at the table. “Believe me, getting hauled out of slavery, it usually isn’t the end of things sucking.” Her face twisted at the memories. “The way all those bureaucrats kept palming me off, trying to get rid of me so I wasn’t their responsibility any more? It fucking sucked.”

She glanced back up at Qiao. “I think I was able to stave things off a bit by arranging things with a Major, but I can’t be sure it’ll last. And look, I’m from Japan. I don’t have the connections with the government over here like you do. So I can’t make sure that the hope I gave those kids doesn’t get crushed through heartless bureaucracy. But you...“ Chris almost jabbed a finger at Qiao before remembering that’s rude and refraining. “You can. You have ins with the government here. You can pull strings to make sure these kids end up okay.”

“So please…” Chris stepped away from the table, took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and bowed. “Qiao Cai, _ please _look after these children for me.”

Unseen by Chris, Qiao leapt back at the sudden motions, her eyes widening as she heard her own name from Chris’ mouth. “My… I…” She tried to speak, stumbling over her own words before collecting herself up. “Of course. Yukine-senpai, I’ll do ** _everything _ **I can. I swear on it. I won’t let you or those children down.”

Chris barely kept herself from sagging, instead straightening herself back up. She wiped at an eye, quickly sucking in a breath to hold back the tears of joy. “Thank you.”

“It’s not a problem.” Qiao smiled. “After all, as I said, helping people is too important for me not to do it.”

Chris nodded gratefully, moving back towards the table. Qiao herself flipped out her phone. “I’ll _ definitely _be asking about this with my trainers at my next session, first thing.” She muttered, quickly typing away. The note made, she took a moment to check the time before she put the phone away and turned for the kitchen door back to the living room. "Maybe we should get back to the others."

Chris paused. "You... uh... you go on ahead. I'll be there in a moment."

Qiao stopped, her hand already outstretched as she glanced back. "You sure?"

"Yeah..." Chris nodded, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Qiao looked at Chris for a moment, then returned the nod and pushed through the door. Chris waited until it fully clicked close before she sagged, exhaling loudly. Quickly, the Ichaival wielder went over to the kitchen sink and ran a stream of ice cold water, splashing some on her face. She grabbed one of the dish towels to dry herself off, taking another deep breath as she did so.

Tossing the towel to hang off the side of the sink, Chris shut the water off then took a moment to peer at the window over the sink, inspecting her reflection. Her usual purple eyes stared back, a slightly flushed face as she regained her equilibrium. No glowing, like Shirabe had described from that night. No weird frost spreading about. Chris sighed in relief and quickly reached into her pockets to grab her own phone.

Glancing down at it, she flipped over into her pictures folder and pulled up an image of a selfie Komichi had taken with her just this past spring. The brunette had thrown an arm around Chris’s shoulder, pulling them so close together that their cheeks almost touched. Komichi’s face was pulled into a wide grin, a spark of laughter in her eyes. Chris, on the other hand, was fairly flushed. Her own eyes were darted over to look at Komichi in surprise, although looking closely Chris could see a slight happiness in them as well.

Chris felt her pulse quicken, her heart pumping loudly. “Geh!” She quickly put the phone down on the counter next to the sink. “That isn’t helping!”

She paused, standing there, looking at the phones back for a few moments. Then she reached out and flipped the phone around to stare at the photo again. “Well…” Chris murmured as she flipped open her picture option. “I guess it’s good enough to be the background image.”

Quickly completing that task, Chris decided she had dawdled long enough and turned to head back into the living room. She stopped in front of the door and limbered herself up, stretching her shoulders before she pushed right on through with a confident stride. “Yo, sorry I…”

She trailed off as she saw everyone turn their attention to her. Not from that alone, Chris expected that, but from what they were doing. Miku had grabbed Hibiki’s book bag, Qiao and Yang were quietly standing by the door in low conversation, and everyone was donning their sunglasses and disguises.

“Alright… what’s going on?” Chris asked. “Why are we heading out?”

“Headquarters called.” Hibiki answered. “We’re all to report for a briefing. Cars are coming to get us.”

Chris blinked, then glanced over at Qiao and Yang who looked up from their own chat. “All of us...?”

“Yes.” Maria nodded as she put on a straw hat. “Qiao and Yang too.” She looked at Chris seriously. “The negotiations have been finalized.”

\----

“... hit the alternate rendezvous. Remember the codeword if you’re busted.” Samantha finished the briefing, taking a moment to glance around the room at the members of her team. “Any questions?”

Caprice’s hand shot up in an instant like an overeager teenager. Samantha closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Any questions _ pertinent to the mission_?”

When she opened her eyes, Caprice’s hand remained stubbornly up. Hoping against hope, Samantha relented. “Okay, what is it corporal?”

Caprice grinned excitedly as she brought her hand back down. “Is the HVT gay?”

Samantha stared at her for a few seconds. “Darmawan, give Corporal Calcaterra a quick smack over the back of the head.”

“What, I just-” Caprice almost fell out of her seat as a rock solid fist smacked into the back of her head ”OW! Hey!” She turned to glare over her shoulder at the immense Indonesian man sitting behind her. “The fuck was that for?”

Darmawan leaned back and shrugged, although he couldn’t stop his lips from twitching in a slightly smug manner.

“Asking irrelevant questions.” Samantha snapped, bringing the Italians attention back to her. “The point of the mission has nothing to do with the Sergeant and your theories about the Sierra-Golfs.”

“Hey,” Caprice answered, jabbing a finger towards Voronin idly assembling his rifle as he listened to the briefing. “He took the bet with me, why don’t you have Darmy smack him?”

“Because the Sergeant is professional enough _ not to try and ask fucking stupid questions in the mission briefings._” Samantha bit out. Caprice glanced towards Voronin, but the Russian sniper just shrugged back at her.

With a pout, Caprice next glanced over to Jwa and the pout became a scowl as she saw the Korean woman had the faint ghost of a smile on her lips. Caprice stuck her tongue out at Jwa, but the double agent just rolled her eyes condescendingly.

_ “Humorless bitch.” _ Caprice thought, sinking back into her chair to sulk.

“Are there any actually relevant questions?” Samantha asked, glancing around the briefing room.

“I’m going to be a bit out on a limb on this one.” Voronin observed, staring at the satellite maps on the wall hung up behind Samantha. “If I get cornered, could I…?” He trailed off, letting the question hang.

“They’re your deal, so that’s your call.” Samantha answered. “Play the cards you have to. Don’t know how well that will work if it’s anyone other than Sierra-Three though. Anything else?” One more pause, but nobody spoke. “Good. Start getting your gear together, we’ll be moving out in two hours.”

\----

**Next Chapter: **Shanghai Dachang

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I recently discovered that the SONG submarine has a canonical name. It’s extraordinarily easy to miss, but it’s written on the piece of paper the inspector dude holds up on XV episode 5 at timestamp 2:56. It’s even in English: “Altamaha-ha”. Apparently it’s named after a Loch-Ness Monster-type crypted from southeastern Georgia (the country, not the US state) which makes some sense. Expect that name to pop-up more explicitly in this story at some point in the future.
> 
> On a radically different note, Crusader Kings 3 is coming out on September 1st. That might impact my update schedule a bit depending on how obsessed I get. There might only be one chapter next month, rather than the two-a-month schedule I’ve been managing since spring.


	32. Shanghai Dachang

**Distortions** **   
** **Chapter 32:** **   
** **Shanghai Dachang**

\----

“This seems like a really bad idea…” Hibiki mumbled, glancing around the flight apron.

Chris let the straw in her mouth go, glancing over at her friend from where she was leaning against the side of a big, PLA troop transport. “Yeah, well… you know that one Chinese big-shot was being an ass. We gotta do it this way.”

“But all these people!” Hibiki waved her hand out in the direction towards various Chinese soldiers, patrolling about the airbase’s apron or manning heavy weapons. There were even a couple of battle tanks, parked around the side of one of the hangars. “If the Horsemen attack with Automen, they’ll just be-”

“Yeah, and they’d do just as well if the Noise somehow popped up.” Chris interrupted her. “But the SDF and the Americans and everyone else still tried their damndest then too. Just...”

Chris paused, thinking back to Panau. To both the Marines those she did save and those she couldn’t. And how they  _ all  _ looked at her like those children from Inner Mongolia did. “Ya know, be yourself.”

Hibiki looked at Chris and then looked back out at a machine gunner, standing behind his tripod-mounted weapon in a sandbagged defilade several dozen meters off. The man was leaning against his weapon, idly reading a small book. Occasionally, he’d trade comments with a second soldier sitting on the sandbags next to him.

Just seeing the pair for a few seconds was enough for Hibiki to get the sense they were closely-knit comrades. Good friends, like her and the other adaptors. But how did she know that after only a few seconds? Shaking off the surprise of her sudden realization, Hibiki also noticed the pair do a double-take, staring in astonishment when they noticed her, Chris, and Miku take up their own positions.

That had been about an hour ago, and the novelty of the adaptors just hanging around had worn off since then. How much did those two soldiers know about what was going on? If the Horsemen struck, could she really keep them and their comrades safe, especially if they tried to charge into battle with her? Was it really okay to let these men join in a battle they couldn’t hope to handle? But, if it wasn’t okay, how was she supposed to discourage them?

Shanghai Daichang lay to the northwest of the city, one of several People’s Liberation Army installations in the region. Miku, Hibiki, and Chris were actually on the opposite side of the runways from all the hangars and other base facilities, as well as the adjoining residential areas. The heavily guarded section of flight aprons they were standing by was where the hand-off of the relic fragment was supposed to take place. Several SONG cars were parked nearby, with Tomosato and Guanting standing around along with several agents, waiting for the transport aircraft carrying the piece of the shield of Xingtian.

Qiao was on the base too, but she wasn’t with them. She was in the section for the base amenities, guarded by Maria and the Zababa duo. No point in concentrating possible targets for Horsemen snipers, bombs or however they might try to attack the delivery point.

Hibiki was torn from her thoughts as something ice cold was pressed against her cheek, prompting her to jerk back and shriek. The machine gunner and his loader glanced over briefly at that, as did several other nearby personnel. Chris winced in surprise, scowling over towards Hibiki.

“Hibiki!” Miku’s familiar admonishing voice cut off Hibiki’s shout. “Don’t be so loud.”

“B-b-but anyone would yell if you do that to them…” Hibiki said as she accepted the cold can of orange juice from Miku.

“And that wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t spacing out.” Miku replied, levelling an even gaze. “What’s the matter?”

Hibiki bit her lip, glancing aside. Chris rolled her eyes at that, “The idiot’s beating herself up about  _ possibly  _ not being able to help people  _ if  _ the Horsemen come down on this place.”

The Gungnir user blanched at that, her head whipping around towards her best friends. “Chris-chan?!”

But Chris’s reply was preempted as Miku quickly reached up and placed a hand on Hibiki’s cheek, gently pulling her face back. “Hibiki.... you will do everything you can, I know it. And you won’t lose. So please, don’t hurt yourself over hypotheticals.”

Hibiki stared at Miku, silently reaching up to clasp her own hand over her girlfriend’s, bringing it down from her cheek. She breathed in, summoning her resolve, and when she opened her eyes again, she asked, “And what about you?”

“Eh?” Miku blinked, stiffening.

“That’s a good question.” Chris spoke-up, deciding to back Hibiki up. She jerked a thumb towards the Gungnir wielder. “We know what that pale asshole’s showed you. Alright, let’s assume it’s true and you made a fuck-up with that. It’s nothing compared to what I did with Solomon’s Cane.”

“Chris…” Miku mumbled. “That isn’t the same...”

“No, it isn’t.” Chris agreed, pushing out of her lean. She quickly glanced towards where Tomosato and Guanting were standing, engaged in their own quiet conversation. Most of the personnel were giving the adaptors their space out of respect, and at the moment she was glad for it. “After all, I can’t fix your fuck up like you fixed mine. No matter how badly I wish I could… just like I wish I could’ve succeeded back then.”

“But Chris… I…” Miku couldn’t find her words. Yes, she tossed Solomon’s Cane into the Treasury but that didn’t make up for it. Did it? Her stomach rolled and she glanced over at Hibiki shamefully, but her girlfriend simply stood there, holding her hand, looking at her pleadingly with those bright, beautiful eyes over her. “You…”

“Stop.” Chris said, “You did something we couldn’t:  _ you _ wiped out the Noise, and in doing so you saved the lives of everyone on the planet.” Then she glanced at Hibiki, standing there next to Miku. “And don’t forget, your ‘mistake’ saved the life of an idiot who's so important to both of us.”

“Oh…” A slight smile slid across Hibiki’s face. She glanced towards Miku quickly, gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, before letting go and leaning forward. Placing a thoughtful finger to her chin, Hibiki asked, “Am I really that important to you, Chris-chan~?”

Something in her tone made Chris’s eyebrow twitch. “ _ Aaaand _ you made it weird.” Then, without any warning, she lunged forward. Hibiki squawked as an arm wrapped around her neck and yanked her down into a solid headlock.

“Chris-ch-AH! OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!” Hibiki flailed as Chris’s knuckle cracked down on her head and rubbed in on it,  _ hard _ .

“Just ‘cause I’ll acknowledge I’m your best friend doesn’t mean I’ll let you get away with saying just anything to me!” Chris said as she noogie’d the Gungnir wielder. Then she gave Hibiki a playful, if rough shove towards Miku. “After all, it’s your wife’s job to take care of you. It’s  _ my  _ job to keep the both of you on the straight and narrow.” Chris glanced over to Miku, “Right?”

“I don’t know about ‘the  _ straight _ ’, Chris.” Miku couldn’t help it. The set-up for the quip was too perfect. Then she blinked and realized that, despite her own emotions, she was still able to make such a joke. She couldn’t help the laughter, barely managing to clasp her hand over her mouth to stop from exposing her mouth.

Both Chris and Hibiki paused and looked at her, then they looked at each other and shared a smile. “Well, I see you’re doing better about it.” Chris noted, releasing Hibiki. “That’s a relief.”

“Mhm…” Miku managed, wiping a tear from her eyes as she managed to reel in her laughter.

“I’m glad…” Hibiki murmured, wrapping Miku in a hug. Chris blanched at the sudden display of affection, but Hibiki ignored it. “You spent so much time taking all my pain away, so I want to pay you back the same way.”

“You don’t have to do that, Hibiki.” Miku replied, almost reflexively.

“But I want to.” Hibiki said. “I want to be selfish for you, Miku. I don’t want to cause you the pain I used to, not any more.”

“Hibiki…” Miku murmured, not knowing what else to say. She just closed her eyes for now, leaning into her sun’s warmth.

“Alright!” Chris interjected after a few seconds of intensifying discomfort before stepping forward to push the two lovebirds apart. “I think that’s enough of that.” She nodded off towards a squad of Chinese soldiers who were passing by from the perimeter fence. Their heads had turned when one of them pointed out the three adaptors. “We’ve got watchers.”

“Eh?” Hibiki glanced over towards the soldiers then back. “So?”

Chris stared at Hibiki in astonishment at that, but Miku was a bit distracted by something else. “Chris…” She said, catching the silverette’s attention. Chris’s blush intensified as Miku reached up to clasp her own hand over the one Chris had on her shoulder. “You feel cool. It’s nice.”

“Hey, you’re right!” Hibiki exclaimed as she realized it too, reaching up to clasp Chris’s other hand on her  _ own  _ shoulder. “Ooh… maybe we should cuddle in around Ch-”

Fortunately, a blue-haired savior came to the rescue of Chris’s pride before Hibiki could finish her sentence. “Girls!” Tomosato called out. “Transport’s touching down!”

Hibiki let go of Chris’s hand, her demeanour becoming more serious as she turned towards Tomosato. “Understood! We’ll be right there!”

Chris nodded in agreement. Miku, the newest of the group, couldn’t help but be briefly surprised by the sudden professional turn before she also hardened her expression. Playtime was over, the Horsemen’s opportune moment to strike was approaching. They’d have to be on alert.

Chris walked out towards Tomosato and Miku moved to follow, but Hibiki suddenly grabbed her hand. Miku blinked and turned in confusion. “Hibiki?”

“Miku… that time with Shenshoujing wasn’t the only time you saved me.” Hibiki said, her eyes down. “Remember what I said during the interview? How if you hadn’t been with me after Zwei Wing I would have undoubtedly lost myself? You’ve always been saving me, and so you’ve always been saving everyone else.” She lifted them, beautiful, gold, and pleading. “So please, please,  _ please _ … stop blaming yourself.”

Miku stared for a second, into those eyes she could lose herself in for her whole life if she wished. But… she couldn’t. Not right now. What else could she say? “I promise.”

It was a lie. She desperately didn’t want it to be, but it was. What kept Miku going was the hope that Hibiki showed her: that one day it wouldn’t be a lie. Miku said it with the same straight face and eagerness she had told all her lies over all these years. She had fooled Hibiki again and again… hell, she had even managed to fool herself.

It came as a surprise when, instead of sighing in relief and smiling with that radiance she so loved, Hibiki’s eyebrows instead furrowed and her eyes narrowed slightly. Hibiki glanced between her girlfriend and the plane, before finally sighing and offering a sad smile that nonetheless struck Miku as warm and caring as any of her more happy ones. It was a smile with a single, clear message:  _ “I understand.” _

Hibiki left Miku no further time to process what just happened as she quickly walked past her, pulling her along after Chris. The Gungnir user smoothly slid into place alongside the Ichaival user, Miku moving up into her own spot as they all stood at loose attention in front of a row of SONG agents. Tomosato and Guanting stood further in front of them as the cargo plane taxied up and turned around.

Chris kept her head straight, but her eyes darted around, searching for anything unusual. Both SONG and the Chinese had dedicated sentries out keeping watch, but the moment was approaching. Shinji had said they had to be wary of the news about the meeting possibly leaking out to the Horsemen, probably through the Chinese, although he was tactful not to say that.

In particular, she was looking for good sniper nests. She had been brushing up on sniping techniques since that botched battle with Voronin at the Château, reading JDF and US military manuals as well as what public source information was available on foreign sharpshooter technique. With the internalization of that knowledge, Chris’s sharp eyes picked out possible sniper nest after nest, but the few that  _ were  _ occupied were clearly PLA marksmen. She took a moment to marvel how different an environment could look when viewed through such a lens.

“Where’s Jin?” Chris heard Tomosato ask, although the woman didn’t seem eager to hear the answer.

“He’s running late.” Guanting answered, although his voice sounded quite relieved.

But Chris’s eyes narrowed in suspicion along with Tomosato’s. The leader of the Anti-SONG faction not showing up on time for the hand-off? It was almost  _ too  _ suspicious.

Chris snapped her head forward as the rear cargo bay door to the Chinese plane hissed open, the engines cutting out. The ramp lowering revealed a platoon of Chinese soldiers, in full battle dress, their rifles held at the ready. They quickly marched out and took up two columns either side in front of the SONG group to reveal a Chinese colonel.

As the newcomer walked up to Tomosato and Guanting, Chris noted the briefcase in his hand. It was a hefty, high security one with plenty of security mechanisms, just like the one they had tried to transport Solomon’s Cane in when it was stolen by Doctor Ver. Who had given that asshole all the keycodes to it anyway?

Tomosato saluted the Chinese colonel as he walked up to them, although Guanting remained at ease. “Senior SONG Agent Aoi Tomosato.” The bluenette said before nodding over to Guanting. “UN Representative Zhong Guanting, Chinese Foreign Ministry.”

The colonel returned the salute. “Colonel Wa-”

She was interrupted as all the SONG personnel’s communicators squealed, Maria’s voice ringing out loud and clear. “Infiltrators inside the perimeter! Code red, code red! Kirika, Shirabe-!”

For a moment, Tomosato froze, Guanting froze, the colonel froze, the soldiers and agents froze.

Chris didn’t freeze. Neither did Hibiki or Miku. They had reached for their pendants as soon as they heard the tone of Maria’s voice, that familiar, hardened edge she took when in combat. And as a slight rumbling became the screeching of incoming rounds, together they  _ sang _ …

_ “Killter Ichaival tron.”  
_ _ “Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron.”  
_ _ “Rei Shenshoujing rei zizzl.” _

\----

“-And then he broke through the skylights!” Qiao said, punctuating her exclamation by waving her drink in the air. Fortunately it had a plastic top..

“Oh, yeah! I remember that scene!” Kirika agreed. But she placed a hand to her chin in thought. “Although… I don’t think a fall like that would wind one of us as much as it did in the movie.”

“That’s what I thought at first too.” Qiao nodded, a sly grin sliding across her face. “But then the very next scene he had to fight this big VTOL aircraft and it never occurred to me to use a shield as a  _ grapple! _ ”

“Woah!” Kirika blinked, considering the idea a little bit before glancing over at her girlfriend. “Hey, ya know Shirabe… isn’t your Imago amalgam kinda like a shield?”

Shirabe blinked, pausing to finish chewing on the citrus peel she had taken from her glass of green tea. “Yes, a little. But I don’t think we’ll get much opportunity to use it. Not with all the anti-LiNKER the Horsemen like to throw around.”

“Isn’t there any way to counteract that stuff?” Yang asked from her own chair, where she rested a chin on the back of her hand.

“Elfnein is working on a counter.” Maria answered, taking a moment to dab at her chin with a napkin. “She actually seems to have made a breakthrough this morning, but unfortunately she has to wait for some additional materials to arrive before she can run a test.”

They were in one of the more public areas of the base set aside to host a food chain. There were a few civilians, but most of the occupants were off-duty soldiers. Maria had questioned whether they should have worn their disguises when they were initially approached by several requesting autographs from either Maria, Kirika, or Shirabe. But there must have been orders not to bother them because the tide had rapidly died off.

Now they were listening to Qiao recall movies she had been watching since they first met, trying to see what she could learn from them. She had actually gone to the superhero subgenre of action first. Apparently the Chinese idol had become really taken to the idea of her Symphogear being a shield, so much so that Maria was reasonably sure that would be the case after all.

Qiao resumed talking about the movies. “I was sorta wondering if I might be able to do that trick with Hibiki-senpai the same character did with the hammer guy in a previous movie. Just with her gauntlets instead of a hammer.”

“I think you might be getting ahead of yourself.” Maria warned. “You’ll want to wait until you get a good grasp of your Gear’s basics before thinking about combos.”

“Ah! My dear pupil, would you like to introduce me to your friends?” A new voice cut in, causing Maria to turn around. For a moment, she stiffened in shock: from the build alone, she briefly thought that Genjuro had come back to life. Then she noted the shorter, sapphire hair, grey eyes, and PLA uniform and relaxed. The shock was such that it took a few moments for Maria to realize the man had spoken in Japanese rather than Mandarin.

“ _ Shifu _ !” Qiao grinned, while Yang waved respectfully to him. The mysterious soldier gave a polite grin to the others while he grabbed a chair and sat down. Qiao quickly turned to the Maria and the Zababa duo. “Maria-senpai, Kirika-senpai, Shirabe-senpai, this is Sergeant Zian Liao, of the Oriental Sword. He’s my  _ Shifu _ … my instructor. _Shifu_, this is… well, I’m sure you know.”

“Of course.” Liao said politely, nodding to the three adaptors. “It is an honor.”

“And it is a pleasure to meet you, Sergeant Liao.” Maria replied, her voice equally polite.

“Your Japanese is good.” Shirabe observed, but a slight inflection to her tone caused Kirika to glance at her questioningly. Kirika knew what that meant: Shirabe felt suspicious of someone but was trying to hide it. That was... rare, rare enough that Maria never picked up on it. And curious.

Certainly Liao didn’t know Shirabe enough to pick it up either. “I learned overseas.” He answered easily. “And when Cai and Ning asked me to teach them, I could hardly say no.”

“You’re quite casual with your subordinate.” Maria observed.

“She’s not my subordinate. She’s my pupil.” Liao clarified instantly. “Yes, she accepted an offer from the government. But Cai will be joining SONG and not the PLA. I’ve read your charter, both versions, you are not military. I can only teach her how to fight…” He cracked a wry grin towards Yang, “And speak Japanese.”

“So do you also watch action movies?” Kirika asked quickly, not liking how Shirabe was eyeing the man.

But to her dismay, Liao shook his head. He must have noticed the perplexed look Kirika gave him back, “Oh, don’t get me wrong, I know they are plenty entertaining by objective merits. But I find myself nitpicking the absurdities too much to enjoy them.“

“Do you think  _ we  _ are absurd then?” Shirabe asked, her voice level in a way that Maria did pick up on this time.

Liao smiled wryly, “In a good way. But you are superheroes. You are supposed to be able to do the impossible.”

As they spoke, Yang checked her watch before leaning over to whisper into Qiao’s ear. The idol nodded before standing, “We should get a move on. The plane will be landing soon and we’ll have to join up with SONG and the others.”

“May I accompany you?” Liao asked.

Shirabe opened her mouth to say no, but Qiao’s response was faster. “Of course,  _ Shifu _ .”

Shirabe clicked her mouth shut again, her eyes narrowing. As Yang, Qiao, and Liao stood up, Maria and Kirika let them gain some distance before leaning in towards Shirabe.

“Shirabe, what’s the matter?” Kirika asked first. Maria nodded her agreement.

“He’s done something. In the past…” Shirabe muttered as she climbed to her feet.

“The sargeant?” Maria asked. Shirabe nodded in response, not removing her steady gaze from the man’s back.

“He’s done something.” She said. “Something bad in the past.”

“You think he’s with the Horsemen?” Kirika leapt to the obvious conclusion, her eyes darting towards him. But Shirabe shook her head.

“No, not that. He isn’t  _ deceiving  _ us.”

Maria considered the issue for a moment, putting the pieces together. “He’s a soldier in China’s top special forces unit who knows Japanese. Odds are he’s done wetwork in Japan.”

Both Kirika and Shirabe turned towards Maria at that, their eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“He’s really good at water parks?” Shirabe asked.

Kirika’s eyes widened. “It’s summer! He’d be a fearsome opponent!”

Maria stared for a moment, then shook her head chuckling. “No, no… wetwork means…” She trailed off, her humor evaporating, suddenly wondering whether she should really inform Shirabe and Kirika that Sargeant Liao probably killed people on a mission for his government in Japan. “Look, Shirabe, he’s not going to hurt us or Qiao. Just… try to leave aside what he might have done. Alright?”

Shirabe glanced between Maria and Liao, clearly unsure how to respond. Finally, her shoulders slumped and she nodded her ascent. Kirika placed a comforting hand on Shirabe’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Shirabe. If he does turn out to be bad, I’m sure the three of us can take him. In a water park or anywhere else!”

“HEY!” The trio turned at Qiao’s shout, the brunette standing by the door and quickly waving her hand. “Everything alright?!”

“We’re coming!” Maria replied, quickly leading the zababa pair over. “Sorry about that.”

Qiao blinked curiously when Maria didn’t elaborate, but exchanged a quick glance and shrug with Yang before grabbing the door and holding it open for the adaptors. They quickly departed into the hall, Shirabe and Kirika leading up the front, followed by Liao, then Maria, and finally Yang and Qiao took up the rear.

Maria frowned a little and bit her lip as she noticed both Shirabe and Kirika shooting nervous looks over their shoulder at Liao. In truth, the realization of what Shirabe’s hunch about the man probably meant bothered her too. Here she was, fighting against a group of killers… and now she had to associate with a man who probably was a killer himself?

Maria wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Sure, Liao probably didn’t kill for the same reason the Horsemen’s agents did. But were the reasons of the Chinese government any better? And for that matter, didn’t the Japanese government undoubtedly have their own cadre of such men? Maria knew for a fact the Americans did. Even discounting Samantha, she could never forget that day at the Tokyo Tower, and not just because of what she had done. What made them so different from the Horsemen?

Her musing was torn away immediately by a very familiar sensation. It was the same feeling she had felt around the Concept-8, that night up by the network of warehouses. That burning, like a miniature sun. And it was coming from behind her, moving down the hallway right towards Qiao.

Maria frowned, constantly glancing over her shoulder. There was nothing there. The hallway behind the Chinese idol and her friend were completely empty. That didn’t make any sense. But there was something else too, a sort of…  _ buzzing _ , like static electricity but it kept popping in and out. Maria couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

All she could do was track it, as it moved right up behind Qiao.

And when it seemed to  _ surge _ , Maria was ready. She spun around, grabbing the Chinese idol and yanking her back. Qiao shrieked, but Yang’s outraged shout was cut off as a humming, slightly glowing blade swished through air right next to her, where Qiao had been standing.

Maria only caught a glimpse of the  _ thing  _ that had seemingly popped out of thin air before it vanished again, that weird surge she had sensed receding at the same time. It was an Automan. She had managed to catch that much. Wasting no time, Maria sang.

_ “Seilien coffin Airgetlám tron.” _

As her Symphogear snapped into existence once again, the Automan suddenly warbled back into view, giving all of them a good look at it.

Unlike the usual robots that could pass at a glance for a soldier in a special outfit, the body of the machine was a skeleton of wiry black metal. Strange red threads that lit up as it appeared again attached a solid, plastic-esque spine to the outer skeleton. Its face was a solid black mask whose only features were two, lightly glowing blue eyes.

Extending from its clawed hands were a pair of long blades, and it wasted no time swinging one of them horizontally towards an astonished Yang, trying to decapitate her.

There was a clang of metal on metal as Maria intercepted the swing with Airgetlamh. The Automan jabbed forward with its other blade, but in one fluid motion Maria ejected her second blade from its slot in her armor, grabbed it, parried the jab, and then bisected the automan. A part of Maria noticed that as her blade severed the red strings, the broken threads turned to ash in an awfully familiar manner. The glow in its eyes died as the two halves tumbled to the ground. The entire exchange had taken a mere second.

“Qiao!” Yang and Liao shouted, the latter already drawing a pistol.

“Maria!” Kirika and Shirabe called.

“Wha-” Qiao began but she was cut off by a scream which reverberated from down the hallway. They all turned just in time to see a group of the same type of Automan bound around the corner, their blades already dripping in blood. The noise of more screams and gunfire echoed from both directions.

“Figure out what happened later!” Maria shouted, grabbing Qiao by the shoulder and pulling the brunette behind her. Reaching up, Maria activated her communicator. “Infiltrators inside the perimeter! Code red, code red! Kirika, Shirabe-!”

“ _ Zeios Igalima raizen tron. _ ”  
_ “Various Shul-Shagana ton.” _

\----

Smoke rose in thick columns over Shanghai Dachang. Multiple aircraft burned on the flight apron, victims of mortar and artillery fire. Later, there would be vicious recriminations within the PLA and various Chinese security services over how the Horsemen managed to infiltrate such a force within close proximity to such an important airbase. But at the moment, repulsing the assault took priority, and the air crackled with gunfire, explosions, and the variably pitched whines of the Horsemen’s more exotic weaponry.

Well, and the music.

_ “The determination to break through a single point in my right hand, is in this song of mine.  
_ _ Before asking "How? Why?", I bear this courage,  
_ _ In my fist without hesitation.” _

Hibiki sang as she shot forward, her gauntlet screeching and rocket boots roaring as she cored straight through the center of a hovering Concept-8. The machine detonated in mid-air as she passed out the back and Hibiki rode the shockwave, flipping over before crashing down onto the concrete. She momentarily glanced over her shoulder at the expanding ball of debris before calling out to Chris. “I thought you said these things are tougher?!”

“Fuck you, idiot!” Chris shouted back through the drifting cloud of Anti-LiNKER as she stood over Tomosato, Guanting, and a squad of PLA soldiers like a mother wolf protecting her clubs. “And kill those tanks!” She nodded towards a company of armored vehicles, moving into firing positions by the remains of the perimeter fence. Spent shell casings from  ** _Billion Maiden_ ** clattered to the ground as she held the oncoming waves of these creepy-ass blank faced automen. They had seemingly materialized out of nowhere in the ground between them and the fence when the adaptors transformed.

“Right!” Hibiki yelled in acknowledgement as she crouched and leapt, her pile bunkers driving her high into the air overhead.

_ “Be brave (Let’s shout)! Go in a straight line no matter what!  
_ _ Reach it (Let’s shout)! I’m the type who fights with one big shot!” _

Hibiki arched up through the air before flipping over to point straight down and fired her back rockets again. Gungnir’s mechanisms whirred, a red rod of metamaterial flipping out to cover her gauntlet as she plunged downward.

Hibiki didn’t aim at any of the tanks directly, rather she aimed at the ground between them. Crashing down like a meteor, she slammed into the midst of the tanks. The tremor from Gungnir’s impact could be felt by Chris several hundred meters off as the ground  _ rippled  _ out with enough violence to flip the dozen, 50-ton war machines into the air.

Chris’s attention was drawn away from the crashing wrecks of metal as Tomosato tapped her arm.

“We’ve got to move!” The bluenette shouted up at her, nodding towards the burning wreck of the cargo lifter and then jerking her head towards Guanting, who huddled down on the ground with the briefcase clutched to his stomach. As if to punctuate her statement, another brace of shells slammed into the ground, their shockwaves buffeting Chris like a pleasant breeze. Shit, they were zeroing in on them. In Ichaival, Chris could tank artillery rounds, but the same couldn’t be said for her charges.

“Right!” Chris replied, before quickly glancing back towards where Hibiki had charged into the waves of automen. “Yo, moron! We’re moving, back us up!”

Hibiki’s only acknowledgement as she kept fighting was a minute shift in the tone of her song, but Chris caught it loud-and-clear.

_ “Smash through (this wall)! Break through (this heart)!  
_ _ As long as there’s a song in my heart,  
_ _ (Believe in) justice (Hold it) tight!  
_ _ Stand tall and become a flower of your own color!” _

Hibiki fought her way through the blade-wielding, blue-eyed Automen as she sang. One came at her with a jab, but she deflected the blow off her gauntlet and tore its head off with a jab. Another lunged in from the side with both blades, but she ducked under it’s swing and shattered it’s core with a backhand. With her in its midst, the waves’ attention turned on her, away from the SONG and PLA troops.

“Alright, come on! Let’s move!” Chris shouted, adjusting her fire more towards the wings of the formation to ensure it wouldn’t hit Hibiki. Ducking low, the squad of PLA troops rushed out of the sandbag emplacement they had been cowering behind, Guanting in their midst and Tomosato hot on their heels. Chris jogged right behind the bluenette, head swivelling for threats.

Chris noted distant flashes of purple to the north. That was almost certainly Miku. Theirs were not the only part of the base that was under attack and while Staples were straightforward enough for the PLA to deal with, Automen were another matter. Miku’s unparalleled mobility made her ideal to rush about to the most threatened sectors, plugging holes and leading counterattacks with a flurry of lasers.

Scanning more. There. Rolling in at rooftop height from some civilian housing to the south. A bunch of attack VTOLs zipping in, beelining right for them. Chris swung Billion Maiden around and let loose a torrent of rounds, ripping the wing off the lead aircraft. Simultaneously, she popped out the compartments on her leg and unleashed a  ** _Megadeth Party _ ** of missiles that blasted the rest from the sky…

Only for another dot to barrel through the clouds of shattering debris, coming straight for Chris and the others at an absurd speed. The dot quickly resolved into a much larger, more menacing shape than any other Horseman vehicle she had encountered so far.

“Fuck!” Chris shouted, reaching out to grab both Tomosato and Guanting by the scruffs of their shirt. Neither had time to voice their surprise before Chris practically  _ threw  _ them forward, right into the other soldiers. A moment later, Chris herself was forced to leap back as a pair of massive metallic feet crashed down right where the SONG agent and UN rep had been.

The Concept-8s body began to whip around towards Tomosato and Guanting, levelling its multi-graser arm, but Chris scowled. “Oh no you fucking don’t!”

With speed and reflexes no human could possibly match, Chris rolled between the massive Automan’s legs and spun around as she came to her feet between Tomosato, Guanting, and the PLA squad. She made it just in the nick of time, releasing her reflectors right as the multi-graser fired.

Beams of violet light glanced off the red shielding, plunging right back to their source and the great machine reeled as the multi-graser detonated from its own firepower. But Chris knew damn well that was just a temporary reprieve.

“Get them out of here, fast! I’ll hold it off!” She shouted at the squad of PLA soldiers, who had only just now picked themselves off. The squad leader nodded and barked several orders, hauling Guanting to his feet as one of his subordinates helped Tomosato.

Chris paid them no mind as she turned back to the Concept-8, the black cloud of nanobots already swarming over the slagged multi-graser. The robot was bringing around its other arm with the rotary-railguns as it backed up when Chris fired another Megadeth Party at almost point-blank range.

Armored panels across the front of the machine blew out as the volley connected, the shrapnel tinkling as it glanced off of Chris’s skin. But almost immediately a black mass swarmed over the blasted metal, mending it only marginally slower than it had been shredded. Chris growled under her breath, leaping away just in time to avoid a barrage of railgun shells.

“Stupid fucking Horsemen sci-fi bullshit.” She said as she hit the ground running, trying to keep ahead of the machine’s aim. The concrete runway shredded behind her under the torrent of hypervelocity projectiles. Chris thought quickly: she needed something piercing.  _ Dammit _ , if her output was higher, then Arthemis Spiral would be a no-brainer, but as it was right now...

Then an orange blur came to Chris’s salvation. Hibiki slammed right into the machine's side like a human wrecking ball.

“ _ Cry out (G-beat)!  
_ _ Hit the meter (G-beat)! Shake it all off! _ ”

“‘Bout time!” Chris said, skidding to a halt as the machine tumbled over under Hibiki’s blow. But as she landed, the Gungnir wielder quickly spun towards Chris and pointed back the way she came.

“Chris-chan! There’s  ** _a ton_ ** of them!”

“Eh?” Chris glanced and her eyes widened as she saw the huge mass of automen - both the new variants and the familiar standard ones - as well as staples swarming over their previous position near the wrecked cargo plane. “Holy shi-”

Her exclamation was cut off by a whine of jets as the toppled Concept-8 engaged it’s thrusters and  _ blasted  _ its way rightside up.

Chris decided it probably was best to leave the singular, hard target to their hard hitter while she dealt with the mass targets. “You kill this hardy bastard, I’ll handle the mob!”

“Right!” Hibiki said, turning towards the Concept-8 and raising her fists as Chris raced off, hefting her gatlings. The machine seemed to take a moment to study her before it raised its multi-graser. Hibiki leapt to the side as the violet beams slagged the runway under her and darted forward, channeling energy into her fist as she raised it.

_ “With these two hands, with this song, protect it all!  
_ _ Pierce through (G-beat)! Burn up with your ideals (G-beat)! Fiercely! _

_ I don’t need and don’t know of any limits  
_ _ I definitely won’t let you go!” _

The machine tried to track her, but Hibiki ducked and weaved as she closed the distance. Her fist thrummed with energy as the Concept-8 loomed in her vision, racing right up to one of its legs. The machine slammed down it’s other arm, trying to crush her, but it only smashed solid ground as Hibiki jumped, right up in front of the pseudo-cockpit-head thing. The metal bar dropped over her fist and Hibiki punched.

The cockpit crumpled like a tin can in a shriek of metal at the blow, but Hibiki wasn’t done. She released the energy she had been channeling into her fist, a  ** _Swallow Spear_ ** that roared right through the Concept-8’s center mass. The energy cored a single, elongated hole right through the machine’s reactor and other vital systems. Hibiki quickly pushed off the remains a moment before it exploded, flipping over to land in a crouch.

Rising to her feet, Hibiki only spared a final glance at the crater where the giant automan had stood before she turned and raced over towards Chris. The Ichaival’s wielders' guns were blazing, their barrels actually starting to glow with her determination as they scythed through the swathes of automen and staples themselves firing on her.

Hibiki took only a moment to appraise Chris’ field of fire before adjusting her course, intending to loop around the killzone and strike the Horsemen’s force from the side. But she was preempted by a whine of Ionocraft modules as a blur of purple shot over the assault force, pouring a barrage of beams from above.

“Alright, Miku!” Hibiki cheered, pumping a fist overhead as Miku pulled into a hover over the same flank Hibiki had been about to move towards. Already whittled a fair bit by Chris’ gunfire from its front, the assault force practically disintegrated under the crossfire of the two foremost ranged adaptors. As the last staple toppled over with a cauterized hole in its head, Miku turned and floated over down by Hibiki and Chris.

“The perimeter’s stable… mostly.” She reported as she landed, shooting a quick reassuring smile towards Hibiki. “But there’s still a number of infiltrators and others that may have slipped through. Where’s Tomosato and Guanting-san?”

“They're okay for a moment.” Chris replied, transitioning Billion Maiden over to her autopistols. “I had to cover for their escape from one of the Horsemen’s big bastards.”

She glanced over towards the warehouses they had been running towards on the northeast corner of the base, where the SONG ground convoy waited. “We’d better catch up with them. If there are still infiltrators in the perimeter, it could be dangerous for them”

“What about Qiao and Yang-chan?” Hibiki asked, her mouth creasing in concern.

“Our job is to make sure the Horsemen don’t get that relic.” Chris reminded her, “Maria and the munchkins are with them. They can handle it.”

\----

Maria was reasonably sure they were handling it.

The biggest problem facing them right now was how far back the civilian section of the base had been built from the rest of it. Maria glared across the street, weighing her options. Had it just been her and her little sisters, she would have charged across with no fear. But that wasn’t an option right now. The fact they had fragile civilians lacking the protective barriers of Symphogears to guard wasn’t new nor was it something they hadn’t trained for, but it was a complication nonetheless.

They were resting at the moment. Not for the adaptors’ benefit, but for the civilians’. And Maria really meant the civilians: Liao was no more winded than she was. Unfortunately, the PLA man only had his pistol, so he was little more than a distraction against the Automen. He had surprised Maria at one point when he managed to stagger one of the robots that got in close with a quite credible shovel hook. The blood on his fist from that was only just now drying up.

Maria took a moment to recall the overhead map they had studied during the briefing. If she had their location right, they were in an alleyway between two military warehouses at the moment. There was still another block of housing to go before they reached the runways.  _ Then  _ they’d have to fight their way through the regular hangars and the hardened air shelters to get where the convoy was.

Shirabe stood next to Maria, every so often quietly glancing back towards Kirika pulling rear guard. The Shul-Shagana wielder had performed her mission the same as in training: scouting ahead and dealing with groups marshalling to ambush them. For her part, Maria headed up the group and watched the flanks.

Maria glanced down at Qiao and Yang, the two girls sitting together. The people they had to protect. “How are you two doing?”

They glanced up, offering strained smiles. Yang actually looked more stable than Qiao, but her concern about her friend’s state was quite clear.

“I-it’s a bit different than how I always imagined it.” Qiao said, some shakiness in her smile. “Seeing you guys in action... outside of training, I mean.”

“Cai…” Liao glanced down at her quickly. “Remember your breathing exercises.”

Qiao blinked, quickly shaking her head. “Y-Yes,  _ shifu _ …” Straightening up and closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Maria raised an eyebrow as four seconds passed with nothing happening before Qiao exhaled and opened her eyes again, looking visibly calmer. She pushed up, rising to her feet. “I’m good. Let’s move.”

“Right.” Maria glanced back out into the street. “Shirabe…”

The pig-tailed girl quickly nodded and darted out into the street, her heelys whirring. She made it almost halfway across when something shot down from the west and slammed into Shirabe with enough force to send her careening over.

“Shirabe!” Kirika shouted, starting to dart forward only to find her progress impeded as Maria threw a hand out. The pinkette had  _ felt  _ the energy in that shot, that familiar resonance they all knew well. That had not been any ordinary bullet. It had been infused with phonic gain.

And that could only mean one thing.

Fortunately, Shirabe thought fast. One of her  ** _Friction Blades _ ** shot out of its compartment, enlarging and positioning itself between her and the direction of the shot just in time to shield her from the second bullet. The whine of her buzzsaws became slightly discordant as the round impacted in a shower of sparks, visibly wobbling, but the shield held as Shirabe quickly scampered to her feet and wheeled back towards the cover of the alley.

Her attention focused on the Shul-Shagana wielder, Maria didn’t notice Kirika abruptly tense until she spun around, already swinging Igalima right towards Qiao. The Chinese girl flinched and screamed, only for the blade to sail high right over her head. Maria turned at the clang of metal upon metal, looking up to see Jwa Ji-Eun almost plunging down from mid-air head first, looking exactly as surprised as Maria felt.

Kirika had caught the Korean’s sword in the crook of her scythe, the point mere centimeters from plunging into Qiao’s head. As Maria watched, Kirika finished her swing, shoving aside the  _ Chilseong  _ and turning Jwa over on to her back. With preternatural reflexes, the Horseman agent kicked off the wall, propelling herself away from the group and flipping over to land at the other end of the alley in a crouch. Jwa rose, her sword held at the ready, but she looked at Kirika in puzzlement. “How did you-?”

“Call it a hunch of death!” Kirika cut her off as Shirabe wheeled back into the cover of the alley, levelling her sawblades as she drew up next to her girlfriend, both of them interposing themselves between the Korean and the trio of non-Gear users.

Jwa studied Kirika for a moment before she shook her head. “Very well. Lieutenant?”

A pair of canisters dropped in from above, clattering to the ground at the group's feet. Maria’s eyes widened in recognition as she immediately seized both Qiao and Yang and  _ leapt _ . “Flashbangs!”

Light burst in everyone’s eyes and sound slammed into their heads. Maria’s jump propelled her out of the alley across the street and she had the presence of mind to twist around, shielding Qiao and Yang with her body from the west. It was a wise decision, as not a moment later a burst of pain exploded across her back from one of Voronin’s charged shots, prompting the pinkette to hiss painfully.

Then Maria hit the ground, rolling with the impact as the painful ringing in her ears and the blur of light in her eyes faded far faster than it should have otherwise. Maria quickly glanced around to confirm she had landed in the cover of the other alleyway then quickly glanced down to check on Qiao and Yang beneath her. They were still dazed from the flashbangs and winded from the landing, but otherwise seemed alright.

Only then did Maria rise to look back towards Kirika, Shirabe, Liao, and Jwa. Jwa had charged at the flashbang's detonation, but Kirika had recovered in time to bring Igalima up and block her swing. Shirabe however had spun around to face a new threat who had plunged down after the flashbangs. And Liao...

Maria’s eyes widened as she saw the big Chinese soldier lying face down, the familiar figure of Samantha Acampora standing over him. A wicked-looking bayonet, more a serrated combat knife, was affixed to the end of her rifle and had plunged into the back of his neck. The American yanked the weapon out of the dead Chinese soldier and spun it around just in time to deflect a swing of one of Shirabe’s blades.

“ _ Shifu! _ ” Qiao’s scream pulled Maria’s attention away from the unfolding battle just across the street. The Chinese idol had shaken off the remaining fugue from the flashbang, glanced up, and paled as she saw the body of her teacher laying on the ground. She immediately scrambled to her feet, back towards the street and the other alley.

“No!” Maria’s hand shot out and almost hauled the girl off her feet as the pinkette grabbed Qiao’s shoulder. “Do you have a death wish? There’s a sniper out there!”

“But  _ Shifu _ !” Qiao’s head whipped around, her face twisted in despair. Maria felt her gut wrench in sympathy. It reminded her of her own face just after Ver launched Nastassja into space “ _ Shifu _ is-”

“I’m sure the Sergeant wouldn’t want you to throw away your life when you can’t do anything for him!” Maria admonished. She glanced towards Yang, looking for support. “Isn’t that right?”

Qiao’s friend had pushed herself up to her knees, her own eyes darting between the melee across the street, Qiao, and the hand Maria restratined Qiao with. Yang jerked back at Maria’s question, and her eyes locked onto Maria’s face for one moment before going to the hand again.

“I… She…” Yang tripped over her words, trying to think. Qiao wanted to do something. Maria was trying to get in Qiao’s way. But it was for Qiao’s safety. Yang’s eyes darted to the street. If Qiao went out there, then she  _ would  _ die. There… there really was no question here. “Yes. Qiao… Eve is right.”

Qiao froze, staring at Yang as if she just remembered her best friend was there. Then she slumped back in Maria’s grip, her head bobbing down as her bangs fell across her eyes. Quiet tears slid down her face.

“Maria!” Kirika shouted from across the alley as she swiped at Jwa, only for the Korean to seemingly dance back out of reach. “We’ll hold them off! Get Qiaochi and Yang to safety!”

“Understood! Please, stay safe you two!” Maria replied, turning back to the girls. “Come on…” She took off, pulling a stumbling Qiao after her, Yang quickly following to keep pace.

“Oh no y-” Samantha spoke as she tried to bring her rifle around towards Maria, but one of Shirabe’s yo-yo’s whipped out and wrapped around the barrel. Thanks to Samantha’s phonic gain reinforcement, the gun held together, but the small girl managed to yank the weapon wide. The burst of fire stitched into the walls overhead.

“Yes she will!” Shirabe lashed out high with one of her buzzsaws at the White Noise leader, but Samantha ducked under the blow and with a surge of power  _ pulled  _ on her gun, reeling Shirabe in close.

“Little  _ brat… _ ” Samantha spat as she leaned forward and shoulder checked the younger girl.

“Shirabe!” Kirika called, but her attention was swiftly pulled away as Jwa attempted to exploit her distraction with another strike.

“All these saws, and strings, and prancing about with  _ fucking  _ skates.” Samantha pushed Shirabe down to the ground, pinning her beneath her own frame. Dropping her rifle to hang from her shoulder, Samantha seized Shirabe’s collar with the freed up hand pulling her close. “Doesn’t do ya much good when I’m right on top of you!” She taunted as raised a fist, intending to batter the girl into submission.

Then Shirabe headbutted her. And Samantha learned something that had been in the briefing, but which she had overlooked given how it never came up: the angular face guards that hovered over Shirabe’s cheek could be really sharp when she wanted them to be.

“AUGH!” Samantha shrieked as she rocked back, blood spurting from a gash torn across most of her cheek and down to her chin, releasing Shirabe as she instinctively brought the hand up towards the gash.

Quickly, Shirabe rolled away from where the crazed veteran had pushed her to the ground and back to her feet. But Samantha didn’t remain distracted by the pain for more than an instant, with grit teeth and fire in her eyes she was already raising her rifle towards Shirabe as the younger girl met her gaze.

“Kiri-chan, break!” Shirabe shouted, her saw blades lashing out again. Samantha immediately jerked her rifle up to block, but the blades didn’t go anywhere near her. Instead, they lashed upward, tearing into ventilation piping on the warehouse alley wall overhead. A blast of condensation jetted out, flowing in a great cloud that filled and spilled out of the alley, plunging everyone out of view.

Samantha went still, her senses flaring as she held her gun at the ready. But no attack emerged from the obscuration. Instead, as the ventilation fluid exhausted itself, the cloud soon lifted to reveal Shirabe and Kirika were gone.

Samantha glanced around, then shared a bemused look with Jwa.

“So...“ The Korean offered. “That’s what that feels like.”

“Indeed.” Samantha observed, reaching up to activate her suit’s commbead. “Sergeant?”

“ _ They're still moving north, but I don’t have a good shot from here. _ ” Voronin replied. “ _ I’m displacing to the next shooting position, try to head them off. _ ”

“Good. The agent and I will pursue.” Samantha said, motioning to Jwa to follow her as she darted forward, down the same alley Maria had fled. The Korean easily kept pace. “The Corporal and Darmawan will move to rendezvous once they are done with their task. Out.” She switched channels. “Red Unit, Sierra-November-One. I need one of the infiltration-type Automan teams to take up blocking positions in regards to the HVTs. Slow ‘em down.”

“_Sierra-November One, Red Unit. Request Approved._” The harsh voice of the AI crackled in her ear. “_Team-23 rerouting._”

Jwa glanced over at Samantha as she kept pace with her squad leader, eyeing the gash in her cheek and chin. “Do you need treatment for that?”

But the American just shrugged. “I’ve had worse.”

Internally she added,  _ “And it’s nothing I don’t deserve.” _

—

“Are you sure about that, Shirabe?” Kirika glanced over to her girlfriend as they dashed northward. “We could’ve taken them.”

“Our mission isn’t to defeat the White Noise, Kiri-chan.” Shirabe reminded her. “It’s to keep Qiao-san and her relic safe.” Mainly Qiao, she didn’t add. “And there are still two of them unaccounted for.”

“Oh, and they might be setting up to ambush Maria!” Kirika caught on fast. “Not to mention the Vorona guy can shoot at whoever he likes.”

“Right.” Shirabe answered, deciding not to correct Kirika on the name.

Kirika’s smile slid off her face as she shot a glance over her shoulder. “What about Liao-san?”

Shirabe paused, frowning herself. In truth, she never knew him like Qiao apparently did and couldn’t get over how the gut feeling she had that he had done something wrong colored her perception of him. But still, even if it was true, even if she wasn’t wrong… he didn’t deserve to go like that.

“We can’t do anything for him now.” Shirabe finally answered softly. Kirika didn’t answer, simply shooting a sympathetic look to her girlfriend.

\----

Tomosato peered around the corner of the warehouse, her pistol gripped tightly in her hand. It was more for her own peace of mind than anything else. Even against Staples it would struggle to punch through their body armor. Against Automen, it was as useful as against Noise.

Speaking of Automen, a group of the new infiltration-types were arrayed around the convoy. Most of the SONG agents who had been guarding the cars lay on the ground, bleeding profusely from puncture wounds right through their chests. A PLA fighting vehicle burned in the background and that plus the lack of any form of other weaponry on those things indicated those weren’t regular blades. Then again, Tomosato had seen those blades block a strike from  _ Gungnir _ , so she supposed that was a given.

Not all of the SONG agents were dead though. A half-dozen were crouched on the ground in a line, their hands over their head, an Automan standing over each with a blade pointed at the back of their necks. Tomosato scowled as she glanced back over towards Guanting and the squad of soldiers accompanying them. “There’s a bunch of the new types out there, they have some of our people. Any luck?”

Guanting looked up from the radio in his hand and shook his head. “Long-range comms are totally jammed. I can’t contact either SONG headquarters or any other PLA bases.”

Tomosato considered the problem for a moment, eyeing the briefcase in the man’s hand before looking over at the squad leader. “How long until other PLA forces respond?”

“Even under normal circumstances, it shouldn’t take long.” The squad leader answered. “Surrounding civilian districts would undoubtedly be reporting the sound of battle. It’ll depend on what sort of blocking detachment they throw in front of the reinforcements.”

“ _ Which could be considerable given Horsemen Automen and armor. _ ” Tomosato thought. Fortunately, such detachments would be oriented against reinforcements moving in on the base, so their best bet remained escaping the battlefield. The question was, how to get to their transport?

Tomosato was startled out of her thoughts by a series of pulsing whines followed by what sounded like a dump truck full of anvils slamming into the earth. She quickly glanced back around the corner just in time to see Hibiki burst out of the debris kicked up by her landing and slam into another Automan, the robot exploding into bits of metal before it could turn towards the threat. Miku floated over the SONG agents, the automen who had been holding them hostage laying on the ground with holes neatly melted through their heads.

Suddenly, another figure dropped down from above by Tomosato’s group, and the SONG agent tensed as she turned, starting to raise her gun only to see Chris grinning back at them. “Hey-yo. So here’s where you guys were. Smart choice.”

The PLA soldiers also lowered their weapons, releasing sighs of relief and glances of appreciative awe. Chris simply nodded to them before walking out past Tomosato into the open and looking over where Miku and Hibiki were. “Looks like the idiot and her wife are done already.”

Tomosato followed her gaze just in time to see Hibiki crush the last Automan’s head, the robot tumbling to the ground. Signalling for Guanting and the soldiers to follow her, the group rushed out and towards the cars.

“Hibiki-san! Miku-san!” She called out as they raced up. Miku looked up from where she was reassuring the saved SONG agents and smiled.

“Oh, Tomosato-san! Guanting-san! We were worried when you all weren’t here.”

“We were surprised when you were.” Guanting said. “You’d think we would have seen or heard you.”

“‘Course not!” Hibiki grinned as she jogged over. “Wizard Stealth!”

“Wiz-oh, you mean Shenshoujing’s stealth features.” Guanting observed, eyeing Miku more speculatively. “I had heard it could refract light. But suppressing audio and other indicators slipped my mind.”

“We’re glad you were able to help.” Tomosato said. “Have you heard anything from Maria-san’s group yet?”

Chris frowned. “We were hoping you had.”

As if on cue, the radio crackled. “ _ -denza Eve to any friendly forces on this channel. I am pinned down with HVI’s and requesting assistance. Can anybody hear me?” _

“Maria-san!” Hibiki’s hand shot to her earpiece as her eyes widened. “We read you! Where are you?”

“ _ Hibiki? Oh thank god. _ ” The relief in Maria’s voice is palpable. “ _ I’m just on the other side of the hardened dugouts to your south. But I’m pinned down by sniper fire and I can’t determine where it’s coming from. Somewhere to the west, that’s the most I can tell. _ ”

Chris’s eyes widened for a moment before they narrowed, a quiet growl threatening to erupt from her throat. There was only one sniper she knew of that could pin down a Symphogear user and outwit their enhanced senses. “Voronin?!” She called into her own communicator. “The White Noise are here?!”

Hibiki, Miku, and Tomosato all looked at the Ichaival wielder in concern at the outburst.

“ _ Yes. _ ” Maria replied, either not noticing or ignoring Chris’ outburst. “ _ Kirika and Shirabe are tying up Jwa and Samantha. We haven’t seen Darmawan or Caprice yet. _ ”

“ _ This is Lieutenant Wei, _ ” A new voice cut in. “ _ Adaptor Eve, we are moving to assist you and- _ ”

There was a tearing noise and a screech as that devolved into static. Then a new voice cut in. Feminine and sing-song. “ _ Don’t worry dear. _ ” Caprice Calceterra’s dulcet tone cut across the airwaves. “ _ We’ll be with you soon.~ _ ”

As if on cue, a rumbling sound that grew into a shriek sent all the non-adaptors down to their knees. Artillery rounds burst nearby, bracketing the parked convoy.

“Damn!” One of the PLA troopers grumbled.

“Red Unit must be vectoring artillery on the convoy while the White Noise move in to take out Maria and Qiao-san.” Tomosato muttered.

“Then get out of here.” Chris said. “We’ll get Maria and the Chinese idol to safety.”

“Chris-chan?” Miku asked, looking concerned. “But what if they-”

“No, that’s a good idea.” Tomosato interjected. “The Horsemen don’t know our route out so there’s no way for them to lay an ambush. And I can outdrive them.”

“What, but…” Hibiki felt a hand clasp on her shoulder and turned her head to see Guanting looking down at her, his face respectful yet fatherly.

“Help your comrade. Your friend.” He said, holding up the briefcase. “We’ll do what we can.”

Hibiki stared at him, then her lips thinned, her brows furrowed in determination, and she nodded. The Chinese diplomat smiled back… and then flinched and ducked as another string of artillery shells pounded down, even closer this time.

“Let’s move!” Tomosato shouted as she climbed into the driver’s seat. Guanting quickly dashing into the passenger car.

Chris turned to the others. “You guys get Maria and the kids’ butt out of the fire. I’ll deal with Voronin.”

“Wha-” Miku’s head came around. “Chris, no! Don’t you remember what happened last time?”

“‘Course!” Chris grinned savagely. “And that’s exactly why I’ll get him. This time,  _ I’ll  _ be ambushing  _ him _ .”

Hibiki stared, studying her best friend’s face. Chris simply stared back with overwhelming confidence. Finally, the Gungnir wielder relented with a sigh. “Well, if you’re sure...”

“Hey, it’s me!” Chris turned towards the southwest as Miku’s ionocraft engines grew in pitch, preparing to lift off. “I’m sure. Motherfucker won’t know what hit him...”

\----

**Next Chapter: ** Just Whose Future

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I’d have one up last month, right? Well, things happened. Both good and bad. I got certified, started job hunting, my Dad’s condition got worse and we’ve had to change up treatments, and on top of that there were good old cases of writer’s block. Still I chipped away at this and got it done. Don’t know how fast the next chapter will be, since things are still in flux here, but it’ll come.


	33. Just Whose Future

**Distortions  
** **Chapter 33  
** **Just Whose Future**

\----

Maria found herself hating wide-open spaces at the moment. A strange reaction, since most of their battles took place in such. But then again, it wasn’t often they faced enemies who could strike so forcefully while still proving so difficult to find.

They were hunkered down between the dirt embankments of two hardened aircraft shelters, shielding them from the west and east. And they were stuck there. Maria had tried to lead forward, she had tried to double back around. Every time she stepped around the western wall though, she received a painful bullet for her trouble.

By herself, one versus one, Voronin would be an irritating opponent. His long-range, stealthy strikes hurt, but unless he _ really _supercharged one of those rounds the worst he could do was knock her over and give her a bruise. Like he had done when she first stepped out there.

At that thought, Maria rubbed again at the spot he had shot her. The bruise was already gone. She glanced over her shoulder at Qiao and Yang. Thankfully, they hadn’t noticed.

But at the moment, _ they _were also the complication. Maria could stand out in the open and take Voronin’s bullets. Qiao and Yang couldn’t. The moment they exposed themselves to him, they would die.

Maria couldn’t leave them to distract him and draw his fire either. The reason why was standing right out there in the open space between her and the next set of hardened shelters, almost mocking her. A unit of those infiltration-type automen spread out to avoid her one-shotting them all with any of her ranged attacks, their blades held at the ready, and their blank stares fixated upon her. She had torn apart the first wave that had rushed them before they swiftly backed off, watching her like a pack of wolves.

Maria could handle them, no problem. Qiao and Yang couldn’t. If she tried to split from her charges, they’d be skewered. The only question was why the Automen weren’t charging. Maria didn’t know for sure, but she could guess.

Undoubtedly more White Noise were inbound. With Voronin keeping them pinned, the Horsemen had the luxury of time. Once the specialists arrived and tied Maria up, then the Automen could charge in and hack Qiao to pieces. The only way it could be worse is if they were the usual models instead of these new melee ones.

Maria’s grip tightened on Airgetlamh and she glared at the group, daring them to move prematurely. In her head, she whispered a prayer for the others to hurry and wracked her mind for any way to possibly escape.

“T-this is it, isn’t it?” Yang’s stuttering voice tore some of Maria’s attention away from the Automen. The girl was beginning to shake, prompting Qiao to place a hand on her friend’s shoulder. But that didn’t seem to work.

“It isn’t. So long as we don’t give up.” Maria asserted.

“Oh?” Yang’s voice rose dangerously, despite the tremble. “Did Liao-san give up?!”

Maria blinked at her, and then sighed. “I’m sorry for your loss, Yang. But we don’t-”

“It’s not about that!” Yang snapped, surging to her feet. She motioned frantically to herself and then to Qiao. “We’re holding you back! Isn’t that right?”

Maria opened her mouth and then closed it. Her lips tightened and she glanced again at the group of Automen. “It’s my mission to protect you.”

“No.” Yang observed. “It’s your mission to protect _ Qiao _. Qiao is the one they want. Not me.”

Qiao’s head turned towards her friend. “Yang?”

“I’ll distract that sniper.” Yang declared. Now Qiao’s eyes went as wide as dinner plates and even Maria started.

“That’s not just any sniper!” The pinkette said. “That’s Kir Voronin. The Raven of Death! If you step out there-”

“I don’t care!” Yang snapped, almost desperate. “I promised I’d support Qiao, no matter wha-.”

“Not like this!” Qiao interrupted, her eyes tearing. “I don’t want you to die!”

“I agree.” Maria added levelly. “I’m not having anyone sacrifice themselves. Especially not-”

“Maria-san!” Miku appeared right next to them, as if out of thin air, her fan already levelled towards the Automen. A fury of energy beams followed as the Shenshoujing wielder shattered the exotic metal armor in a succession of quick, rapid blasts.

Both Yang and Qiao flinched and whirled around at Miku’s cry, but they didn’t seem surprised by the immediate weapons fire from her armed gear. Instead, they both calmed, the tension draining away from them to be replaced by an almost pure serenity. But Maria didn’t have time to contemplate their sudden attitude change. Instead, her eyes were on Miku’s folding mirror-fan, a plan already formulating in her mind as the last Automan crumpled.

“The convoy is leaving the airbase. They couldn’t stay.” Miku said, turning towards Maria and the two Chinese girls. “I moved ahead of Hibiki to find you first. Chris is going directly for Voronin. Do you have a better idea where he is?”

Maria shook her head. “Still somewhere to the west, best I can tell.” But she pointed at Miku’s fan. “However, do you think we can combine that improvised shield trick with Wizard Stealth?”

Miku blinked as she looked down at the fan in surprise. “That’s a good idea. At this level of output, I can’t extend the field to other people. But if they are behind my mirror-”

She was cut off by a sudden explosion behind her, her head whipping around as a familiar pink figure sailed arched through the air. Quickly, a second figure outlined in green leapt up after the first, catching up and colliding as the two sailed back down. The two cohered into the familiar sight of Kirika clutching Shirabe in a bridal carry.

Then Kirika jerked, her body turning in mid-air as one of Voronin’s shots slammed into her. She spun, but refused to let go of Shirabe to stabilize herself, instead pulling the smaller girl close to her body as she tumbled down and slammed down into the ground next to them.

“Kirika! Shirabe!” Maria cried, quickly racing over, Miku, Qiao and Yang on her heels. But Kirika painfully pushed herself up, cradling Shirabe protectively.

“I’m…” The blonde winced as she gingerly placed her girlfriend on the ground, “We’re okay! Just scuffed up a bit. Those two… we tried to draw them away but they caught up with us!”

“We thought we could take them.” Shirabe murmured, as she shakily began to rise to her feet, accepting Yang’s offered arm to steady herself on. “We managed to hold our own against Darmawan when he had the element of surprise on his side, but they are...” She trailed off.

“Samantha and Jwa are _ a lot _more experienced than Timoty.” Maria said as she turned in the direction the Zababa duo had come flying from, her Airgetlamh held at the ready, scanning the approach. “They will not be-”

She cut herself off and quickly slashed up, extending Airgetlamh and knocking aside the row of small straight knives descending straight towards Qiao from above.

“_ That's a Bi Su… _ ” Maria recalled quickly. “ _ Common traditional Korean assassin’s knife. _”

But she had no time to dwell upon that, as she spotted the projectile accelerating down right behind the barrage.

“Shirabe,” Maria shouted, “Shield!”

With a speed that could only be achieved by enhancements of phonic gain, Shirabe practically leapt atop Yang and Qiao, throwing her arms out and tackling them to the ground. At the same time, her friction blades extended yet again, raising up and diagonally slanting to cover them. An instant later, the grenade landed a mere foot away, right on the other side of the improvised shield. The sawblades wobbled at the detonation, pressure and shrapnel rolling over it.

Lacking any such protection, Maria and Kirika were bowled over while Miku staggered. Yet they refused to remain disoriented for long, a quick recovery letting the first two land on their feet while Shenshoujing’s ionocrafts whined as Miku forcibly righted herself, shrapnel pelting off all of their skin.

But even as she recovered and turned, Maria’s instincts screamed at her and she was able to bring Aigetlamh around just in time to block Jwa’s descending strike. Kirika fared slightly less well, as Samantha ducked under the blocking swing from Igalima and slammed the side of her rifle into the scythe wielder, sending her cascading into the side of the hardened shelter. The American immediately levelled her rifle like a spear, the bayonet on its end flashing wickedly with a gleam of phonic gain as she charged in on Kirika…

Only to falter and stagger as a barrage of beams slammed into her side. Samantha jerked back, spinning out of the immediate line of fire. Miku turned after her, her face a mask of determination, levelling her fan only to find that the American soldier had already brought her own rifle around. They stared at each other for a moment, a kind of Mexican standoff ensuing as beam-mirror confronted assault rifle.

“_ Kohinata… _” Samantha growled.

“Back off, Samantha-san.” Miku shot back warningly. The American laughed jeeringly in response, her finger tightening on the trigger… and then she jerked aside in order to avoid another swing by Igalima. The American backpedaled away swiftly, barely avoiding Miku’s follow-up barrage of beams as she rolled out back into the open space and ducked around the side of the hardened hanger.

Kirika almost followed her around the corner, but at the last moment Miku shot forward and grabbed the blonde by the shoulder to yank her back. “Wait! The sniper is still out there!”

As if to punctuate that statement, an instant later a bullet zipped past the space Miku had pulled Kirika back from. The Shenshoujing wielder glanced back towards Maria and blinked as she found the pinkette standing at the opposite corner to the hangar with Shirabe hanging a few feet back, right next to Yang and Qiao. The pinkette’s face was a mask of frustration. Of Jwa, there was no sign.

“So…!” Samantha’s voice drifted around the corner. “This is a bit of a predicament. You have us outnumbered, but our marksman has you pinned. And we both have back-up inbound. Interesting, isn’t it?”

Miku glanced over her shoulder at Maria, who shook her head back. The message was loud and clear. “_ Don’t mention Chris. _” Then she glanced over at Shirabe, who nodded and pressed a hand to her ear, whispering something over the communicator.

“I do have Wizard Stealth.” Miku decided to reply instead.

Samantha snorted. “Yeah, _ you _do. Can’t say the same about your friends. Feel free to pop out and try to take shots at us with it. Voronin would love the practice.”

Miku glanced back at a tap on her shoulder to see one of Kirika’s own smiles, the blonde flashing her a thumbs up.

“Senpai’s got Voronin.” She whispered. “Get ready, on Maria’s command.”

Miku nodded, tensing as she quickly looked again at the corner. Waiting…

“‘Course while we can’t come around there that easily.” Samantha’s voice seemed closer now, and Miku’s eyes narrowed. “I could do something li-”

But whatever she was about to say next was cut off by Maria’s “NOW!”

Miku _ burst _forward, her Ionocrafts whirring. No bullet leapt out to strike her from the unseen as she burst around the corner, past a momentarily startled Samantha cooking grenades in her hand. To her credit, the American recovered from the surprise quickly and had the sense to toss her grenades after Miku and duck to avoid the swing from Kirika as she followed Miku around the corner…

Only for the scythe wielder to bring the handle about and slam it into the lieutenant's face, launching her back.

“Motherfuck-!” Samantha shouted as she hit the ground, rolling into a recovery. She rose back up, scowling, her rifle gripped tightly in her hand. “The face again?!”

Kirika simply stuck her tongue out in response before charging in under the cover of a barrage of Miku’s beams.

On the other side of the bunker, at her own shout Maria had swung out, swinging Airgetlamh. A momentarily surprised Jwa barely had enough time to bring her own sword up to block only for Maria to knee her in the gut. The Korean swore unintelligibly, backing up to gain more space against her opponent.

And after Maria, Shirabe _ dashed _out, going full tilt on her monowheel. Qiao gripped the smaller girl’s shoulders tightly as the Shul-Shugana wielder carried Yang in a bridal carry. She quickly spun and wheeled away from Jwa, pushing full tilt away from the base.

The Korean’s eyes widened as she spotted her target getting away. Her free hand went for some of the Bi Su at her side. “Hey-!”

“Oh no you don’t!” Maria shouted, charging forward, extending Airgetlamh’s chain with her next swing. In response, instead of launching the knives at Shirabe as she planned, Jwa instead threw them straight forward. It didn’t stop the chain-sword, but the deflection did slow Airgetlamh enough that she was able to bring her own Chilseong around to block.

But Maria was relentless, whipping Airgetlamh’s chain again and again, forcing the Korean to keep swinging just to block each blow, forcing Jwa back. Away from Shirabe. Away from those she had to protect.

No matter what.

\----

“Let’s see…” Chris whispered to herself, peeking around the corner of the hanger. “If I were that prick, where would I be hiding?”

Chris recounted what Maria had said over the communicator. “The gunfire was coming from the west, so..."

Her eyes settled on the most likely place of origin: a cluster of buildings directly west of where Maria and the kids had been before they got jumped. On the western edge of the tarmac across from Maria’s position, that cluster was home to some of the tallest buildings in the surrounding area. Not too tall, this was an airbase after all. But it was tall enough, Chris reasoned, for the shot to have most likely come from one of those buildings.

“Bingo.”

While the idiot and her wife kept the Horsemen goons distracted, Chris did her best to sneak across the tarmac’s north edge. From there, she planned to make a fishhook, and come at Voronin’s position from the north while his eyes were still on the battle to his east. As she approached the area, she became more cautious, moving slower. He was so close… she didn’t want to ruin this chance.

In the end she dropped down to street level and peaked around a corner, scanning the locale. Glancing about, she made her choice and muttered to herself, “Well, here goes nothing.”

Calling the four-story building “tall” would have been an overstatement, at least compared to the skyscrapers further away from the airbase. With just about every building in the surrounding area cordoned off in preparation for today’s exchange, just about any building in this area could have been the one Chris was looking for; but of all the buildings in this area, it was the most likely target.

She had come to this building through a process of simple elimination- “That one’s no good; there’s obstructions in the line of sight that would have made the shot impossible, even for him...” – “There’d be no way out of this one if someone cornered him…” – “That one’s got no east-facing windows, the shot would have had to come from the roof…” – “This would be a great sniping spot… So it’s probably too obvious to anyone with more than half a brain….” – “This one’s got the opposite problem; it’s obviously such a bad spot that you’d almost be inclined to pick it just to throw your enemies off, especially if you thought you could make the shot…”

“So that just leaves… That one over there.” Chris nodded to herself as her eyes settled on the four-story building about a block away from the one on which she was currently standing. Turning her head back to the east, Chris’s eyes scanned across the tarmac as she attempted to put herself in the shoes of her quarry.

“Let’s see… For that distance, the elevation here is good enough from this height,” she said, squinting her eyes as she stared into the distance. “And if I moved over just a bit more, that would put me…” Running a few calculations in her head, Chris concluded, “Yeah, that’s probably the right angle to hit Maria where it did, too.”

“Alright,” Chris said, hopping down from the roof and making her way towards the building in question. “Time to go meet that stupid bastard and give him a piece of my mind.”

Chris was not looking forward to this. The inside of the building was cramped. Not cramped like a maze without a logical pattern to its layout, but cramped like a place where too many people were meant for not enough space. The hallway was narrow, and Chris soon learned one other, even more annoying fact about the building.

“Stupid thing,“ Chris muttered to herself as she resisted the temptation to smack one of the accroutments on her Symphogear. She had been attempting to check the hallway around the corner when one of her Gear’s side-skirts caught on the frame of an ajar door. “Come on, get out of there.”

The bulky accessories sticking out of her Gear made navigating the cramped space while keeping a low profile difficult. The added bulk at her hips made it hard for her to shrink her profile as she peered around corners and cleared rooms. If Voronin were in one of these rooms, that added bulk could mean the difference between her striking first, or him. “_ At least it’s still light out this time. I’d hate to have to do this in the dark. _”

“_ I’ll have to scale back, _ ” Chris thought, as she shifted her combination to the bare minimum with a thought, the metal hard points vanishing in a sparkle of red lights. Dropping down to just the undergear meant weakening her defense fields severely and dismissing her pistols, but that was a tradeoff Chris was willing to take for the mobility. Her opposite hand twitched as she reached for the handle of a nearby closed door, fingers attempting to close around a pistol no longer in her grasp. As Chris placed her hand on the handle, she gave it an experimental jiggle. It gave easily. Too easily. “ _ A booby trap, maybe? _” 

With her lowered fields, a trap might actually be able to hurt her or it might not… depending on just how much explosives were packed in. But it _ definitely _would alert Voronin that she was close. Releasing her grasp on the handle, Chris pressed her ear to the door. Nothing. She heard nothing coming from the other side of the door. If Voronin were inside, he was being awfully quiet.

Chris moved on, leaving the likely-trapped door alone. That was the ground floor clear. But the stairs? Not so clear. “_ Idiot, _ ” Chris thought as she stepped over the tripwire placed across the stairs. “ _ You’ll have to do better than that to trip me up. _”

The next hallway over may have been done better than the stairs, however. Chris gritted her teeth: the entire hallway was lousy with tripwires. Carefully, Chris clung to the wall, more concerned about getting past the maze of traps than she was about clearing each individual room. Chris counted at least three different traps connected to the various tripwires she took great pains to avoid. One was rigged to a machine gun in the opposite room, set to fire on whoever tripped it. Another, to a belt of grenades. The third, to a claymore mine barely hidden under a doorway; and there were probably a lot more that she couldn’t see, based on the number of tripwires the hallway was littered with. “_ If Voronin’s done this much to ward off intruders, then he’s probably pretty close. _”

** _CRACK_ **

The sound coming from just beyond that door was loud; ear-splitting, and unmistakable. A single crack that broke the sound barrier, followed by the almost imperceptible sound of a moving bolt and a spent cartridge clinking against the floor. Inside, Chris could hear the shooter muttering to himself in Russian.

“Senpai?” Shirabe’s voice sounded in her earpiece as Chris pulled away from the door. “Did you manage to find Voronin yet?”

“Yeah,” Chris whispered back. “I’ve got that bastard dead to rights. Gimme just a few more seconds.”

“Right. Please hurry.”

Chris terminated the call, and approached the door with caution. It opened inwards, and was just enough ajar for her to see inside. She almost missed the thin line running taut along the bottom of the crack. “A tripwire?” Again, Chris pulled away from the door. “Geez, this guy’s a nut! He’s liable to blow himself up setting a bomb that close to the door.”

But Chris knew that probably wasn’t true. If Voronin was wearing that Ape-whatever-you-call-it suit, the one that let the Horseman steal their phonic gain, then the only one getting blown up would be whoever tried to take him. “In that case…”

Boosting Ichaival back to full took only a second, and breaking down the door took only a second longer. Smoke and fire filled the room as Chris charged, catching the moving figure she had every reason to assume was Voronin with a swift kick as she called on a pair of pistols. Without waiting, she fired.

The smoke visibly shifted as the round tore through it, and a bark of pain followed the report of the gunshot. Chris saw Voronin’s silhouette stumble back and fall over onto his butt, his rifle tumbling in another direction. The smoke from the explosion cleared…

Voronin sat back against the wall, clutching his side. The nanoarmor had already regenerated, but Chris could tell her round had managed to pierce by the splash of blood around where she shot. A victorious grin began to creep over her face, but it fell off in surprise and anger as she noted the satisfied smile on his face.

“Now, that is more like it, Symphogear Red,” Voronin said, his smile never once faltering as he spoke, despite the pain in his voice. “I have to say, you had me worried after your poor showing at the Château. I thought maybe your reputation had been blown out of proportion; but this-“ Voronin gestured towards the blood splatter on her armor, causing Chris’s eyes to track him with trepidation. If he so much as moved the wrong way, she’d- “-This is what I had been expecting from you.”

“_ Shut up, _” Chris said, staring at Voronin with fire in her eyes. “And keep your hands where I can see them.”

“Alright, alright,” Voronin dropped his wayward hand on the floor to his side. A moment of silence passed before he spoke again, asking “What makes you and the others keep coming back to all this?”

Chris couldn’t help but stare in disbelief at Voronin’s question. “What the fuck do you care?”

“I care because I’m curious as to what it is that gives your lives meaning. You all could have walked away from this at any time: after Yggdrasil, after we unveiled all your dirty little secrets to the world, after all the many hardships you’ve had to endure... so why keep coming back to this? It can’t be that you all actually enjoy helping others, can it?”

Chris didn’t deign to answer Voronin’s question. After what he did to Genjuuro, he didn’t deserve an answer. “What about you?” She shot back. “What makes you keep doing the shit you do?”

_ ‘What made you put a bullet through the head of the nicest man I’ve ever met?’ _

Voronin half-shrugged, replying “To challenge myself. If I can land a clean shot on a target no other marksman can, well, that’s when I’m feeling my most complete. That elegant, exquisite thrill of being the undisputed best in my craft…” Voronin sighed, and his voice took on a somewhat melancholy tone. “It’s the only thing that has ever given my life any meaning.”

“In any event!” Without giving pause, Voronin pushed ahead, “So, what is your next move, oh great hero? Will you be handing me over to the Chinese? Giving me back to the Russians? Maybe you’ll let your friends in the US Marines have a crack at me? I imagine they’ll be wanting some retribution for what happened to them in Panau. Or maybe your plan is to turn me over to SONG, and let me rot in a dark cell without ever seeing my day in court?”

“Fat chance,” Chris spat. “After what you did to the old-“ Chris had to stop and correct herself. “-to Commander Kazanari, I’m putting you down myself, right now.”

“Are you now? My, wouldn’t that be something. Your public perception is already on thin ice with the media as it is, and here you, planning on executing a wounded prisoner? I wonder how well that would go over if the wrong people were to find out.”

“Quit playing games!” Chris glowered, not moving her pistols an inch.

“Oh, I’m not playing at all. In fact, but I do have reason to think you don’t have it in you.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Well if you were planning on shooting me dead, I imagine you would have aimed at somewhere more vital. Somewhere that the seal of my suit wouldn’t be able to plug up when it regenerated.” Voronin’s eyes locked with Chris’s own, and the tone of his voice darkened as he added, “But, you’re more than welcome to try, if you care more about revenge for your departed Commander Kazanari than about what happens to Sonya and Stefan.”

Chris’s breath caught in her throat as her eyes widened. She almost lowered her pistol from the shock, but at the last moment she maintained the wherewithal to keep it up. “What did you just say?”

Voronin nodded as he scooched up straighter. “Heh, it was a bit of a surprise for us too, at least on Sonya’s account. We initially thought she was dead too, took a mortar blast for Stephan, but turns out she was just barely clinging onto life.” He tilted his head a little, eyeing Chris thoroughly. “She’s out of the coma, I’m sure you’ll be glad to know.”

“You fucking bastard.” Chris growled. She wanted to shake with rage, but she forced herself to stay steady, keeping her gun trained on him. Even wounded, she refused to underestimate him again.

“There.” Voronin noted, offering her a smile as he noticed he had her full attention. “You’re learning. Good. So, here’s the deal with those two: once a day, I send a signal through our comms to their guards. The signal doesn’t come through, they get wasted. And hey, wouldn’t you know it: I haven’t sent the signal today yet! And if you take me in, I will never be able to do so. Poor Sonya. Poor Stephan.”

He inclined his head towards the window. “On the other hand, if you let me go…” The sniper didn’t finish his sentence, simply letting the implication hang.

“B-Bullshit.” Chris spat, her eyes glued to the Russian. “You’re just trying to get away.”

Voronin rolled his eyes. “Alright, fine. You want proof?”

Chris blinked, her guns shifting a fraction. “What?”

Voronin’s left hand began to reach up to his chest, but Chris instantly straightened her weapons back out. The sniper sighed in exasperation, “Gonna have to grab the comms device off my suit if you want your proof.”

The Ichaival wielder paused, biting her lip. Finally, Chris said. “Do it, _ slowly _.”

Another eyeroll, but he complied. Slowly and with exaggerated carefulness, Voronin plucked a little bead off his suit and flicked it onto the floor in front of him. “Red Unit… put us through to the Secure HVI-Victors.”

There were a few blips, then Chris’ heart almost stopped as a familiar, boyish voice echoed out of the room. “Hey! Wha… talk into this? You want me to talk into this? Why the he-”

“Stephan?” Relief, shock, and dismay warred within her. He was okay… yet he wasn’t okay at all.

“Chris? Chris!” Stephan’s own relief was palpable. “You’ve got to help us! These creepy, silent _ boludos _have us locked up! They attacked our village and they’ve got me and Sonya-”

“Red Unit, cut the link.” Voronin interrupted and in an instant, Stephan’s voice was cut out.

“** _Hey!_ **” Chris growled, dropping her fingers from the guard onto the trigger. “You put him back on!”

“I said I’d give you proof.” Voronin clarified, his voice dry. “I didn’t say I’d let you have an extended conversation with them. Now is that enough for you? Or should I have someone mail his artificial leg to you or something?”

Chris ground her teeth, her insides seething. She wanted to do at the moment then slam a round straight through this asshole’s smug little face. She wanted to reduce him to a bloody pulp with Billion Maiden. Perforate him with Giga Zeppelin. But if she did...

Chris didn’t lower her gun. She didn’t trust Voronin as far as she could throw him. But she did take a step back and nod towards the window as she spat, “Get the _ fuck _out of my sight.”

Voronin nodded, reaching out to push the window open fully from it’s cracked position as he pulled himself up, making no move towards his rifle laying on the opposite side of the floor. But he paused, shooting one last glance at Chris. “I’m sure they’re grateful.”

And before she could respond to that, he moved, diving straight forward and right out the window. Quickly, Chris ran right up after him, but he must have dropped a smoke grenade just outside because a thick, white obscuring cloud rolled in through the window the moment before she stepped up to it. Cursing loudly at any and all god’s, Chris leapt through and up, bursting out of the smoke cloud to scan the area.

She couldn’t find any sign of the slippery bastard.

“_ Chris! _ ” Maria’s voice buzzed in her commbead. “ _ Where are you?! _”

Chris glanced in the direction of the fight, picking out the blurs of varied color from her friends mixing with the black armored nanosuits of the White Noise as their fight weaved back-and-forth. Landing back down amidst the swirling smoke cloud, she shook her head, trying to clear the swirl of feelings clouding her mind. She could agonize over Sonya and Stephan later, right now her friends still needed. Voronin did have a good spot here… she might as well make use of it herself.

“I’m here!” Chris replied as she dropped down into the snipers position, slamming her autopistols together as her ‘Gear shifted. As she stared down the scope of ** _Red Hot Blaze_ **, Chris made sure to turn down the shots power: she’d have to be careful not to blast her own friends. “Be ready for some fire support!”

\----

Fighting two adaptors at once was taking everything Samantha had just to stay on her feet. Even when she was able to get the blonde brat off of her for a few moments, Miku had clearly gotten pretty good at firing while constantly on the move. The American had quite a few burns and cuts now, strikes that had broken through her nano-armor and the boosting from the phonic gain to pierce the skin. The self-repairing capability was putting in overtime.

The saving grace was they couldn’t both engage her at the same time: when Kirika moved in close to engage, she tended to wind up blocking Miku’s shots. But when she backed off, that left Samantha free to bring her rifle to bear on either one of them. And while Miku’s beams were plenty powerful in their own right, against the pure high technology of nano armor, its conceptual ability was no more effective than Igalima’s striking blade.

Jwa was having an easier time. She only had a single opponent, and while Maria was plenty talented, she still wasn’t on Tsubasa’s level, let alone the Korean’s. Still, the spy was frustrated. The pinkette just would ** _not _ **give her room. In fact, she kept going out of her way to lock blades with Jwa, pinning them both down. And it was obvious why…

“_ She’s trying to buy time for ‘lil miss sawblades to get away with the HVTs. _ ” Jwa thought as she elbowed Maria back only for the Airgetlamh wielder to twirl with the blow, extending her chainsword to try and wrap it around the Korean’s Chilseong. With a series of ringing clangs, Jwa brought her sword this way and that, blocking each lunge by constantly maneuvering with the flat of her blade in front of the tip. But it forced Jwa to backpedal, just to ensure she had enough time to bring her sword around. “ _ Wrong _ damn _ direction. _”

The Korean grit her teeth. What the hell had happened to Voronin? She had always thought him professional enough… no, he had to have gotten tied up. One of the other two, undoubtedly. The relentlessness of the pinkette was preventing Jwa from reaching for any of her smoke bombs or microexplosives. And that music was starting to distract her... 

Wait, music?

Jwa’s eyes widened in realization and she leapt back just in time for Hibiki’s rocket punch to merely graze her. Even then the blow was enough to knock the Korean’s wind from her lungs and send her spinning off, a good chunk of the side of her nanoarmor shredding. The Yeonggwang slipped from her grasp, clattering to the ground just within arm’s reach.

_ “I won’t lose to the burden and the destiny contained within this power I hold  
_ _ Even if I get hurt protecting something  
_ _ I can’t abandon my duty just because it’s painful.” _

Jwa inhaled as she started pushing herself up, only for a silver-clad boot to slam down on her stomach, a dagger now at her throat. The Korean quietly matched Maria’s withering glare, but didn’t dare to move a muscle. Oh sure, Jwa could try to snatch the blade from Maria’s hand and against anyone who wasn’t a Symphogear user, that might even have worked. But the spy knew better: a Symphogear’s armed gear was theirs and theirs alone. To try and wield it against them was worse than suicidal.

“Hibiki, I’ve got Jwa!” Maria shouted, not removing her eyes from the Korean for an instant. “Get Samantha!”

“Got it!” Hibiki nodded, quickly turning towards the stalemate between the American and her two friends. The Gungnir wielder bounded forward, the metal bar falling down over her gauntlets, but she kept her rocket boosters off as she raced forward and drew her fist back.

_ “More! (Let’s shout!) Unless you step forward with resolve.  
_ _ Tightly! (Let’s shout!) You can’t face the future.” _

Miku smiled as she saw her sun darting in, instantly shifting her barrage to key into her movement. Kirika too sensed Hibiki’s approach. After Miku, she had proven to be the one most in-tune with the Gungnir wielder and she backed off, pulling her scythe away at the last moment to ensure Samantha had minimal time to respond.

But Samantha did, in the end, have time to respond. As Hibiki closed the last distance, the American ducked, Hibiki’s fist flying clean through air where her head had been.

“You know, you all really should stop going for the head. “Samantha observed, “It’s getting kind of-” Hibiki's other fist came around and slammed into her gut.

“_ Tears (I know them) Pain (I know it),  
_ I want to connect before it burns out.  
_ Holding out (that hand) extend (that hand),  
_So I can believe I’m doing this for someone.”

“Good advice, thanks!” Kirika chimed in on Hibiki’s behalf as Samantha doubled over, choking up at the blow. Pushing through the mind dazzling pain, the American attempted to roll aside, but the Igalima wielder rushed in, using her pole as leverage to swing around and deliver a kick square into her side. The larger woman, already tired out from chasing the Zababa duo and the extended stalemate, finally lost her balance at the successive attack. Failing to recover, she landed face down.

“You… fucking.” Samantha ground out, pushing herself up, her rifle clutched solidly in her right hand. “I’m not gonna…” She twisted around towards the group, only to stop as she found Igalima at her throat, Kirika grinning down at her.

“Dess?” The scythe wielder inquired, daring the riflewoman to try something clever with her eyes. Samantha froze up for a moment, then something flickered across her face. Kirika’s grin faltered for a moment as for a moment she saw something familiar in the American’s expression, something she had seen in herself at her worst: that same brittle, almost broken far-off look.

Then it was gone, replaced with an impassive stare, as if Samantha was asking Kirika “Okay, what now?”

“Samantha-san.” Hibiki said as she walked up from behind the Igalima wielder, biting her lip. Miku drifted down from the side but Samantha resolutely refused to look at either of them. Hibiki glanced down at her fists for a moment…

“My name is Hibiki Tachibana. Age seventeen.” At Hibiki’s voice, Samantha’s head came around in momentary confusion before melting into exasperation. Heedless Hibiki pushed on. “My birthday is September Seventeenth and my blood type is-”

“** _Fucking shut the fuck up already!_ ** ” Samantha snapped. Kirika tensed, but the woman simply remained where she stood, only her burning eyes bore into Hibiki. “Your blood type is O! Your height is one-hundred fifty-seven centimeters! Your weight is fifty-five kilograms! Do you honestly think _ I don’t know this shit already?! _”

She laughed, but there was no joy or enthusiasm in her laugh. It was hollow. “_ God _, I want to strangle you. Like looking at me a fucking decade ago! All full of piss and vinegar! Ready to go out and make the world a better place, like America’s supposed to be able too! And then guess what happened?”

Her voice shifted, taking on a false contralto. “No Samantha, those death squads answer to our allies. No Samantha, acting against that dictator will destabilize the region. No Samantha, stopping that ethnic cleansing will disrupt the shipments. No Samantha, you’re supposed to stick to your orders.” Samantha dropped out of the fake tone. “It ground me down. Left me with nothing but Alex and Emily’s smile to carry me on.”

And finally her head whipped around to acknowledge Miku, who momentarily winced at the death glare the American gave her. Instinctively, Hibiki extended her arm as if shielding her girlfriend, but Samantha just screamed. “_ And then _ ** _you _ ** _ fucking took _ that _ from me! _ ” Immediately, her head whipped back towards Hibiki. “So just you _ fucking _wait, little puppy, till you try to save someone only for your masters to yank your little leash back!”

Hibiki opened her mouth, a retort forming in her mind…

… And an anti-tank grenade, infused with phonic gain, slammed into Miku’s back. The Shenshoujing wielder shrieked as the blast rolled over her Symphogear’s defense field, overpowering the thrust of her ionocraft thrusters, and throwing her forward. With an alarmed shout of “Miku!” Hibiki quickly spun around to catch her girlfriend.

Kirika’s head turned at the explosion, her attention immediately focusing on the possibility of a new threat. It was a distraction Samantha wasted no time taking advantage of. In one smooth motion, the American leaned back just enough to remove Igalima’s blade from her neck and then ducked down to drive a jab right into Kirika’s stomach.

The green-clad girl staggered at the blow, but quickly regained her footing and straightened back up… just in time to see Samantha bringing her retrieved rifle back up and open fire on full-auto. Running on pure instinct, Kirika held out her scythe and spun it with preternatural speed, the rounds deflecting into the ground around her.

The follow-up contact grenade Samantha fired from her underbarrel, on the other hand, wasn’t exactly something that could be blocked that way. The blast knocked Kirika back, but she recovered just in time to dart away with Hibiki as another round arched in and released a familiar white mist they had seen before. Samantha also had to duck away before the fuel-air round detonated, the wave of heat and blast whipping her hair through her face.

Shaking her head to clear the ringing in her ears, the American picked out footsteps approaching through the dust, easy and carefree. She scowled. “What fucking took you two?”

“Oh,_ I’m sorry _ .” Caprice answered, her voice dry. “We stopped to grab everyone fast food. Try to give you a taste of home, ya know?” The sarcasm fell away, replaced by an angry snap. “ _ After all that time-consuming work you made us do. _”

Samantha rolled her eyes and made a note to find Caprice some humiliating detail work once this was all over as punishment for her mouthiness. Even if she had a point, that was no way to talk to your commanding officer. Also, she was easily the worst bitch among them. “Where is-”

With a shriek, a blur of pink and silver flew over their heads. Maria recovered in mid-air just in time to plunge out of the two’s view into the still lingering smoke from the fuel-air weapons. From behind them, heavy foot-steps announced Darmawan’s arrival.

“Jwa’s free.” He announced, cracking his knuckles. Samantha simply nodded, turning as the smoke cleared to reveal the four Symphogear adaptors facing the White Noise, their weapons held ready.

“Four on four.” Caprice observed lightly as she snapped her grenade launcher closed.

“Your arm…” Hibiki muttered, her eyes flickering to Darmawan. The man in question bared his teeth in a half-grin, flexing the limb. The nanofibers rippled with the muscle.

“Better than new.” He said. “_ Stronger _… always stronger.”

Something about that reply touched a nerve in Maria. “Do you really think you can win?” She asked, Airgetlamh held at the ready. Her eyes flickered across the scenery, looking for Jwa. Where had she gone off too…? The pinkette’s heart sank as she realized the probable answer. Caprice was bluffing when she said ‘four-on-four’

“We don’t have to.” Samantha answered, immediately swinging her rifle up and firing.

“Miku!” Maria shouted over her comms as the four ‘Gears scattered, the gain-infused bullets ripping up the concrete where they stood up. “Jwa’s going after Shirabe and Qiao! Break past them!”

The Shenshoujing wielder quickly nodded her acknowledgement as she leaned forward and shot forth.

“Oh no you don’t!” Caprice muttered as she whipped her grenade launcher around. The weapon flashed and coughed, but instead of a gentle arcing lob the explosive round shot forward like a bullet. Miku adjusted her flight so the warhead would fly over her. But the weapon was on a proximity fuse and detonated anyways as it passed overhead, driving her down towards the ground.

“Miku!” Hibiki shouted, but before she could move to her girlfriend's aid, she had to throw up her gauntlets to block a series of earth-quaking jabs as Darmawan beelined right for her.

Samantha raced towards the black-haired ‘Gear user, raising her rifle as Miku climbed to her feet. The bayonet on her rifle gleamed in the sunlight as the American charged, an inarticulate roar of rage on her lips. Miku brought her mirror-fan up, but realized with horror she wasn’t going to make it…

And then Maria surged in front of Miku, Airgetlamh’s blade clanging sharply as it deflected Samantha’s bayonet. The American staggered but rolled with the blow in order to dodge the kick Maria threw out as a follow-up.

“Chris!” Maria snapped into her communicator as she jabbed out at the backpedaling Samantha. “Where are you?!”

“_ I’m here! _ ” Chris’s voice crackled back. “ _ Get ready for some fire support! _”

Samantha had just managed to level her gun when a bolt of red slammed into her from the west, knocking her off her feet. “Mother-!” Before she could even finish her swear, much less recover from the surprise attack, Maria shoulder checked her. Samantha found out the hard way that the spike on Maria’s left shoulder wasn’t just for show.

“Sniper!” Darmawan shouted, reaching out to grapple Hibiki. But the Gungnir user whirled away from the lunge, and not a moment later, another red bolt slammed into him.

“Eh-GRAH!” Caprice’s own inquiry as she whirled away from Kirika became a bark of pain as a third red bolt knocked her over. She barely had time to roll aside and avoid Kirika’s follow-up strike as she brought Igalima down, the blade biting into the tarmac’s concrete instead. Quickly, the three White Noise members found themselves disengaging from their opponents under Chris’s barrage of long-range fire, scrambling for cover.

Ironically, they found themselves hiding behind the very same hardened aircraft shelter that the Symphogear wielders had taken cover behind themselves.

“Miku!” Maria shouted over her shoulder. The girl in question nodded back as her Ionocraft modules whined again and she shot off in the same direction Shirabe went.

“Yeah, how do _ you _like it!?” Kirika jeered, punctuating her statement by sticking her tongue out.

Samantha briefly responded by flashing her another bird, before raising her rifle again to fire.

—

“So fast!” Yang marvelled in Shirabe’s arms. Her larger size made carrying her a little bit awkward for the Shul-Shagana wielder, but the preternatural strength and reflexes granted by the Symphogear were more than enough to compensate. She glanced over her shoulder, “Do you travel to school this way?”

Shirabe blinked at the question. The idea never occurred to her. “We’re not supposed to use our Symphogears outside of missions and emergencies.”

Yang blinked up at her. “Oh? I’d figure you would do it all the time.”

“It’s to show we’re responsible in using it. And it also kinda draws less attention.”

“I understand that first part.” Qiao said. Shirabe arched an eyebrow at that but didn’t reply. Instead, she used the lapse in the conversation to scan the route ahead. She couldn’t travel in a straight line for too long: already she had literally run over several groups of Staples and Automen. The Horsemen’s Red Unit responded by rerouting more forces onto her path, trying to lay ambushes and while she could take bullets, her charges couldn’t.

She whipped around a corner and there was Jwa. Just sitting in the road. Shirabe blinked, her mind processing the scene. The Korean had to know she was coming. But she was… just sitting there?

“Brace!” Shirabe shouted, leaping up and retracting her monowheel. Qiao shrieked and leaned forward, throwing her arms around the smallest adaptor’s neck. An annoyance, but not one Shirabe couldn’t handle as she dropped back down onto the ground, not removing her eyes from Jwa for one moment.

“What? What is it?” Yang demanded. “Why don’t you just run her down?!”

“She’s just sitting there.” Shirabe pointed out as she placed the Chinese girl down on the ground. “It’d be easy. _ Too _easy.”

Yang’s eyes widened and she nodded.

Qiao glanced over her shoulder, back the way they came, "Go another way?"

"What if that's what she wants?" Yang asked, her eyebrows furrowing in concern.

Shirabe shook her head. Anybody could see this was a trap, but they didn’t have the time to stand here and figure out what the trap was. For all they knew that ** _was _ **the trap. She made her decision: better to spring the trap and roll with the punches then be paralyzed by indecision.

Lowering her voice, Shirabe stepped forward as her twintail compartments swung open, revealing dozens of small, spinning sawblades ready to be launched at the ninja. The blades whirring as they spun helped further disguise her voice, hopefully making it impossible for the Korean to hear her. “Stay behind me, around half a meter.”

Jwa didn’t move at all as Shirabe approached, simply sitting there with her head quietly bowed as if in meditation. Her sword lay across her lap, her hands clasped together.

Something was off. Something besides the obvious. But Shirabe just couldn’t place _ what _.

She stopped about five meters away. “What are you doing?”

“Waiting for you.” Jwa said, looking up. Her eyes flicked to Qiao. “To kill her.”

Shirabe tensed, levelling her head so that with a thought, she could send hundreds of the sawblades ripping through the Korean. At this distance, there was no way she’d miss. “And how do you plan to do that?”

Jwa answered, “The Master said: the noble man is aware of fairness. The inferior man is aware of advantage.” She smiled thinly. “I am not a noble man, not even a noble woman, but I am aware of fairness. And sometimes fairness… can be an advantage.”

Shirabe blinked, and then it struck her. The way Jwa’s hair ruffled in the wind, the way her nanosuit shifted with her breathing, even the actual tone of her voice... that was what was wrong. It didn’t fit. And it didn’t fit in a way Shirabe had _ seen _before.

She wasn’t looking at Jwa.

“QIAO-SAN GET DOWN!” Shirabe shouted as she whipped around, away from what was suddenly a log spray-painted in black with a metal pole laid in front of it. Her twintail compartments were already shifting, a robotic arm with a large whining friction blade swinging out towards Qiao.

To her credit, the Chinese idol instantly obeyed the instruction, ducking down. Two blades, one straight and one spinning, promptly chopped through her hair. Jwa barely managed to alter her own trajectory in time to avoid Shirabe’s saw blades from doing more than nicking her. Striking her ear, the whirring blade bit into her commbead even as she whirled away.

There was a squeal of static and monotonous voices echoed across the street as the Korean righted herself. Or rather, it was one voice overlapping with itself, issuing a torrent of endless orders in an impenetrable array of military jargon. Wincing at the noise right in her ear, Jwa reached up and quickly switched to a White Noise-only Channel.

Wiping away the blood from the cut on her temple, despite the fact it just began to flow again, Jwa scowled at Shirabe as she backed up a little, her sword held at the ready. For her part, the Shul-Shagana user had quickly interposed herself between Qiao and the Korean, whirring blades ready to lash out.

“Why are you putting in so much effort to kill Qiao-san?” Shirabe demanded. “You barely tried to go after her relic by comparison.”

Jwa paused, her head tilting a little. “_ Tried _?” Her eyes flickered momentarily towards the sun, as if making a quick estimate of the time. “What makes you think we ever stopped?”

A chill ran down Shirabe’s spine. “What? What do you mean?”

Jwa simply smiled and lunged forward, her sword flashing. Shirabe parried the blow with one saw and riposted with the other but the Korean quickly retreated, dancing beyond her immediate reach.

“The relic’s out of the battlefield!” Qiao shouted from behind the Shul-Shagana wielder. “You failed to destroy it!”

“Is that so?” Jwa asked, “Tell me: what do you think Caprice was doing all this time?“

Ice crept up Shirabe’s back at the realization. “No… you couldn’t have mined the route, you don’t even know where it is!”

“Quite right.” Jwa agreed, a mocking smile sliding across her face. “That’s why we had her go through the effort to mine _ all _the routes.“

“Impossible, people would notice-” Yang trailed off as the coin dropped. Yes, people would probably notice someone rigging the sections of multiple roadways to blow. Unless they were distracted by something else. Say, a major attack on an airbase…

Another explosion rumbled in the distance. There were enough of those that they had become background noise to Shirabe, but the timing of it made the distant blast vastly more ominous than any of the previous. 

Jwa’s damaged earbud squealed as it’s channel-switch was overridden. “_ Mission Complete.” _ The same monotonous voice intoned. _ “Primary-HVT Whiskey liquidated. Secondary HVT-Uniform liquidated. Secondary HVT-Tango liquidated. All White Unit elements, fallback scheme twenty-one.” _

“What?” Qiao asked incredulously. “What the hell does any of that mean?”

Jwa ignored her question. “Ma’am, I still have a shot at HVT-Charlie. Should I continue?”

Shirabe tensed at that, expecting Samantha to say yes. But instead, the American’s voice rang out. “_ Negative. Disengage. Without the relic, she’s nobody important. _”

Qiao reeled back as if struck, her mouth falling open and eyes doubling in size. Yang quickly reached out in worry, steadying her friend. Shirabe began to move forward, intending to try and pre-empt Jwa’s withdrawal, but a set of Bi Su knives slid into her hand with a twitch and she flung them right at Qiao.

Shirabe diverted and trivially blocked them, but Jwa used the distraction to toss down a series of pellets that burst into smoke and light. When Shirabe finished blinking the spots out of her eyes, the Korean was gone. A moment later, her own communicator crackled, Maria’s voice coming in… louder and clearer then it had before. “Shirabe? Shirabe! Jwa is heading in your direction.”

“I know.” Shirabe quickly replied. “She’s fled. What about the rest of the White Noise?” She glanced over her shoulder toward Qiao. The Chinese idol was leaning up against a nearby wall, Yang hovering next to her in worry.

“They withdrew themselves.” Maria answered. “Miku’s on her way to you-”

With a warble, a completely new voice entered the channel. “-eadquarters to ground team, SONG headquarters to ground team, can you hear us?”

“Kashiyama-san!” Maria replied. “Yes, we can hear you!”

“Oh, thank god.” The relief in the SONG agents voice was palpable. “Commander, I’ve managed to raise the ground team!”

“Maria-san, Hibiki-san, Tomosato-san.” Ogawa’s voice came over the channel, all business. “What’s the situation?”

“This is Maria, I’m with Hibiki. Due to how the attack has developed, the team structures have altered. What’s the overall situation?”

“The Horsemen’s remaining forces are disengaging and going to ground.” Ogawa relayed. “PLA reinforcements have broken through the blocking detachments and are almost at the base.“

“This is Shirabe, I have urgent news.” The Shul-Shagana wielder cut in. “I encountered Jwa and she said their crazy bomber lady had mined all our potential evac routes while the attack was ongoing.”

“What?!” Several voices chorused together. Shirabe managed to pick out Chris and Hibiki, definitely listening in.

“Tomosato-san, your communicator transponder is still active. Can you verify?” Ogawa requested. Several seconds passed with no response. “Tomosato-san, do you read?!” Ice began to creep down Shirabe’s back.

Then, mercifully, the blue-haired agent's voice broke in over the connection. “This is… this is Tomosato-san! I’m oka-.” Her reply was cut off by a series of pained coughs.

“Are you sure?” Ogawa said urgently. “Where are you?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Tomosato continued. “I’m a bit winded and banged up but okay… the roadway exploded… Guanting-san… he took the full blast. I’m afraid… he didn’t make it.”

Qiao’s head whipped around at that, her eyes widening.

“I… I see.” Ogawa sounded just as shaken. “What about the relic fragment? Is it okay?”

“The fireball consumed both Guanting-san and the suitcase.” Tomosato answered. “There’s some pieces laying around here but… I can’t find any sign of anything that looks like a relic fragment.”

“Shirabe-chan!” Miku’s voice broke Shirabe out from her focus on the commbead in her ear. The Shenshoujing wielder descended down from above, her ionocraft modules whining as their power fell.

“Miku-san!” Shirabe called back. “Did you hear? The convoy-”

“Yes, I was listening in!” Miku said as she touched down, her eyes softening as she glanced over towards Qiao, still staring at the two in dumb shock. She lowered her voice before continuing. “The shield of Xintiang… the Horsemen destroyed it.”

Despite Miku’s lowered voice, Qiao clearly heard them. The way the Chinese idol’s expression crumpled at that felt like a knife to Shirabe’s gut.

\----

**Next Chapter: **My Responsibility

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: Woof. This took far too long. I could blame things going on in my personal life: job hunt and some family developments. I could blame myself for wasting my time with numerous games and the like. But the truth is: I got lazy here. I love this fic and want to finish it (and then improve on its flaws as best I can with a quick rewrite), but sometimes it can be hard to muster up the motivation to write at times. Here’s hoping the next chapter doesn’t take remotely as long.
> 
> Additionally, I guess I’d like to dedicate this chapter to my maternal grandfather, who passed away last month at the age of 97. Robert Franch lived a long and wonderful life which rewarded him with a plethora of children, grandchildren, and even a few great grandchildren. Though he may have passed, his memory will live on in his descendants and those he aided both as a doctor and as a human being. As hopefully will be the case of all of us.
> 
> I’ll miss you, Granddaddy.


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